Operation STARCROSSED
by Synaptic-Firefly
Summary: Rachel hates relationship rings because love is in the air and no one wants to share one with her. As she partners up with Nigel to find the legendary agent, Numbuh 777, they may stumble upon a heinous secret yet! 1/362 FINISHED!
1. Ladies and Gentlemen

Disclaimer: I don't own KND and all of characters based here belongs to Mr. Warburton except for Numbuh 777 and this plot. That's all mine.

Operation STARCROSSED

Secret

Tells

Agents

Rogue

Catastrophe

Revolving

Over

Severed

Sector's

Eventual

Destruction

* * *

Chapter 1: Shut Up

_'Rings are all the rage these days.'_ Rachel, or Numbuh 362, thought glumly to herself.

Rings were legendary in the KND. Especially among the operatives that were close to becoming teenagers as they start to develop crushes for one another.

They were spreading quickly among KND operatives who wanted to pair up with the person they like-liked. And this irked the Supreme Leader to no end.

She walked towards the Bridge to see many female operatives giggling in packs as the boys whispered fervently to each other, as if deciding if it's against their manhood to buy rings for the girls they were crushing on.

Rachel carefully stared at a couple of the female operatives' fingers. The majority had a ring on their right index finger. Not so bad, that meant friendship between two friends with matching rings. Some had rings on their middle fingers, which meant single, but looking. She snorted at the blatantness of it all.

The very rare, however, and these girls were swarmed all around them like bees all gawking at the lucky girl, had a ring on her ring finger. The most special one: taken, a couple. Scoffing, she only took the pleasure of this walk when the girls looked disappointed as they could not see any rings on her. She was wearing gloves like any normal agent. She had developed an inkling to make a rule stating that everyone must wear gloves on Moonbase. Oh, how she loved her supreme position...

Ignoring the other girls because of her lack of a ring, she stomped over the Observation Deck to do her job quietly when she saw her best friend, Fanny, or Numbuh 86, talking (okay, screaming), to a boy operative on transmission.

"What the blazes are ye saying, ye stoopid boy!" Fanny bellowed at the surprisingly not cowering boy. "Ye better tell me why ye don't have a report ta give before I come down there and kick your can!"

"I told you already!" The operative retaliated. "It was Numbuh 293's job to report, but she hasn't done anything about it. She and the other members of my Sector are too busy chatting over which ring they should give to who."

This made Rachel's blood boil. They're ignoring protocol for a stupid hobby?!

She none too gently pushed a surprised Fanny aside and yelled angrily. "You know that you guys just had an important confrontation with Father, right?! This report is important so we can figure out why he went out of his way to cause damage to your Sector instead of his usual attempt against Sector V!"

The boy began to cower at the Supreme Leader's authority driven voice and she felt a bit sorry for taking it out on him as he wasn't the one to issue the report anyways. She took a deep breath and sighed. "Listen, Numbuh 301, this is vital to Moonbase. Father's up to something and Sector V needs to know enough information to strategize. There must be something he wants where you guys are stationed and you need to look into this some more. If the female members of your Sector refuse to comply in one hour with a _reasonable _report, we'll have to temporarily suspend your team and replace you with a new one. Understood?"

At the mention of becoming suspended, Numbuh 301 saluted her with a tough fashion, as if the nice guy act was now officially dropped. "Don't worry, Commander! I'll get those stoopid girls in line! And I'll give you a full report from Numbuh 293 in less than thirty minutes! Count on it! Sector NY out!"

Numbuh 362 looked smug as Numbuh 301 transmissioned off. She wasn't no Supreme Leader for nothing!

"Well, ye seem a little firey at this whole ring business, Lass," Fanny rubbed her bottom gingerly after the fall.

Rachel just looked away snubbly. "I just think it's getting in the way of KND business, that's all. I mean, what's so special about stupid rings anyways?"

"Aye, Rachel. But rings have been around in every KND era in like eleventy-billion years. It's like, tradition, or something like that." Fanny replied thoughtfully.

The blond raised an eyebrow. "What's going on, Fanny? You'd never defend something like this! You hate boys anyways!"

"Hey! I'm just repeating what Numbuh 1 said to me, aye? E' read it from the KND Book during a Homework Drill!" Fanny retorted, her cheeks red.

Rachel instantly deflated at the mention of Nigel. The one boy who knew the _real _her.

"Um...how is Numbuh 1 these days, Fanny?" Rachel hasn't seen Nigel in months and ever since Father has been doing these weird hundred mile trips around North America for some strange reason, she was worried that Sector V might be somewhere in Father's plot. Even more so Nigel, ever since he told her about Father being his uncle. Something was up.

Fanny tilted her head to the side. "Aye. Um, a little moody lately, I guess..."

"Huh? Let me guess: Father, right?" Rachel smirked. Nigel will always be Nigel. The KND-aholic. He could have taken her place as Supreme Leader if he wanted it.

"Actually, I think it has something to do with his girlfriend..." Fanny answered thoughtfully. "Love-trouble, I guess."

'_Love-trouble?' _Rachel's smirk turned into a huge grin. She was pleased by this new information for some strange reason. "Do tell."

Fanny shrugged. "That's all I know, Lass. Maybe you can yell at him for not worrying more about Father...?" She added the last part eagerly.

Rachel shook her head at Fanny's usual suggestion in good nature and brought up a profile from her transmitter screen for her next conference.

"Aye, Lass. If ye want to talk ta Numbuh 1, ye should right now. I---mean, ye know, about Father."

Rachel's face turned bright red like a tomato. "Uh...right." She switched off the transmitter so she can contact Sector V's treehouse.

The screen turned snowy and then visual came up.

"Sector V, this is Supreme Leader Numbuh 362." Rachel said professionally over the monitor.

She was surprised when the screen snowed as if something slammed onto Sector V's monitor. Visual returned and she saw Numbuh 2 run across the screen and took cover behind the couch, objects being thrown all over the place.

"Numbuh 2?! What's going on? Are you guys under attack?!" Rachel ordered in worry. "Where's the rest of your Sector? Where's Numbuh 1---?"

"AHHHH!!!" She could hear Numbuh 4 scream from somewhere. "Run for your lives! Get the G.L.U.M.B.!"

(Computer: Kids Next Door- G.L.U.M.B. 'Gum Loaded Universal Multi Bomb')

Numbuh 3 finally made it to visual and answered Rachel in a chipper fashion. "Hi, Numbuh 362! How are you today? Oooh! Did you hear about the Rainbow Monkey 'Hearts in Love' doll?! When it comes out, Numbuh 5 promised that she'd wait eleventy billion hours with me until the toy store releases it! Are you going to come too?"

Despite secretly agreeing that she too was anticipating the latest Rainbow Monkey, she ignored the last statement. "Numbuh 3, what's going on? Who are you guys fighting?!" Rachel asked in full alert. "Do you need back up from Moonbase?"

Before she had the chance to answer, Rachel could hear Numbuh 5 off-screen. "Numbuh 5 is telling you to calm down! Numbuh 5 don't want to clean up this mess you're making! Numbuh 1 ain't here! Check somewhere else!"

Becoming irritated because no one had answered any one of her questions and that Numbuh 3 left the monitor to keep Wally from unleashing the G.L.U.M.B., she took matters into her own hands.

"Overriding KND 2x4 visual technology at location Sector V! Supreme Leader authorization password: downwithbroccoli." A small screen appeared on the side of her monitor, codes moving at a gagillion rate. "Activate S.N.E.A.K. Mode!"

(Computer: Kids Next Door- S.N.E.A.K. 'Screen Now Enables Acting Kinetics')

She had enabled the monitor to move on her command, so she could look around the surroundings of the Sector V Treehouse.

Discovering the source of the problem, Rachel watched in perplex as Numbuh 1's girlfriend, Lizzie, was behind the attack on her Sector.

The rather pudgy red head blindly threw a soccer ball at the Commander's direction and she had to cleverly swerve the monitor out of the way.

"Where is Nigie?! I know you guys are hiding him!" Lizzie angrily yelled at the ever calm Numbuh 5.

Rachel wondered where Numbuh 1 was, also. Why was he hiding from his own girlfriend?

"I go out of my way to buy these to signify our everlasting love and he runs off!" Lizzie sobbed. "Where are you, Nigie?!!!"

The blond commander closed her eyes at the annoyance of her voice. She's been told that Nigel's girlfriend was a 'little' obsessed with her boyfriend, but now she understood why the members of Sector V would talk about her in a bitter fashion...well, all except Numbuh 3 and obviously Numbuh 1. Obsession was an understatement. She was INSANE.

"You there!" Rachel jumped when the pigtailed terror pointed in accusation at her. "Do you know where my Nigie is?!"

The Commander frowned at her tone. "No I don't. I want to know where he is too." Even if she did know, she'd never tell her.

"Then who are you?!" Sector V groaned in embarrassment.

"I'm Numbuh 362. The Supreme Leader of the KND! And who the heck do you think you are, messing with my kids?" This was annoying her to no end. What did Numbuh 1 ever see in her?

This seemed to blow Lizzie's top as she angrily was face to face with the monitor, causing Rachel to instinctively pull her head back despite the fact she's not back on Earth and on screen.

"Now see here, Miss. 'I'm so important that I step on everyone'!" Rachel growled at the insult. "I don't bother you when you're looking for _your _boyfriend, so go and bark orders at someone else!"

Rachel slammed her fists on the table as the monitor was disconnected and the 'End Transmission' sequence blinked at her as if taunting her.

"Of all the---!" She stomped over to where Numbuh 86 was busy yelling at the boys on deck and grabbed her by the scruff of her neck. "Numbuh 86, start the tracking device on Numbuh 1. He'd better explain his location and why he lets his out-of-control girlfriend run amok on my Sector!"

Even though she believed without a doubt that Nigel Uno was very responsible for his Sector, this was ridiculous.

"A-aye, sir!" Fanny saluted nervously. "But, Numbuh 60 just relayed to me that Numbuh 1 has arrived on Moonbase, sir!"

"Is that so?" Rachel unceremoniously dropped Numbuh 86 and exited the deck, leaving a very stunned Ex-Decommissioner behind.

Transmission Interrupted


	2. Are You Ready?

Disclaimer: I own Numbuh 411, 666, 777 and this plot. Transmission End.

Author's Note: Okay, so here's the deal. I had no idea that there were those who actually like my story, (to tell you the truth, I didn't think this pairing was popular enough to be given a review...I'm narrowminded...), but I'm happy I can keep this going for even a few readers out there. So the deal is, I'm trying something new here. I already have chapters three and four written out, so I can make a reasonable deadline and you guys wouldn't have to wait FOREVER like I usually did with my other fanfics. I'll keep writing new chapters in the meantime and present you with a new one in two or three days tops, depending on the amount of reviews I get. Yes, reviews. Reviews are a fanfic author's bread and water! Anyways, thanks to those who want me to keep going!

* * *

Connection Reestablished

Chapter 2: Are You Ready?

After checking for Numbuh 1's location on the tracker of her watch, she discovered that he was snuggly set in the cafeteria. That did made kind of a sense. It was smoothie day.

Ignoring the many operatives running next to her with billions of paperwork in their arms, she stomped over to the cafeteria to get some answers about a certain agent who just can't seem to keep his personal and professional lives apart.

The crowd around her got bigger and bigger until she had enough of it. She stopped abruptly causing a couple of kids to trip over their own untied shoes, causing paperwork to fly all over the place. For once in her life, she pitied her lawyer father. No doubt he goes through the same thing every day.

"Listen up," Her words carried on like MLK Jr.'s 'I Have a Dream' speech. Everyone was dead silent. "I don't have time for you guys, so take it up to your superiors. And if I'm your main superior, take it up with Numbuh 86--" After thinking for a moment, she changed her mind. "---actually, go to Numbuh 60 instead. She might sign some document banning boys from Global Command or something..."

See? She's still on top of everything.

They seemed to tither for a moment, unsure if they could take her words to heart until she gave them a stern face that meant to do as they were told. They ran as if she was a piece of broccoli.

"Finally. Peace and quiet." She made her way into the cafeteria and looked around the semi-crowded room of kids enjoying their lunch break.

She finally saw Numbuh 1 sitting by himself at a table at the far side of the room, looking as if he'd just outran the Spanish bulls. Her resolve wavered slightly. Who was she to make things worse for him?

Sighing as she began to walk out of the cafe quietly without confrontation, Nigel's clear, British voice caused her to halt.

"Rachel? How are you?"

Hearing him call her by her first name made her feel funny. That had never happened before in her entire life.

Deciding to just meet him halfway, she followed over to his table, promptly ignoring the many couples making cutsie faces over their single smoothie glass and sat on the seat next to him. Her face was heated up involuntarily.

She felt like saying something cool, something that would make him feel at awe after a clever retort.

"You shouldn't really call me by name around the new kids. They'll think I'm going soft or something..."

She mentally smacked her head. By cool, she didn't mean reprimanding him! Stupid! Stupid!

But Nigel seemed to take this in stride and gave his trademark smug grin. "My apologies, Numbuh 362. I forgot I was supposed to be formal with a superior." His voice had a light edge to it though, so it wasn't some type of insulted retort.

"I-It's okay to call me Rachel, really!" She stumbled in her words, nervous to high heaven. "I don't mind it! I'm just used to everybody calling me 'Numbuh 362' or 'Supreme Leader' and all that. It felt foreign when you said that, like that's not me or something."

Nigel raised an eyebrow. "You sound like no one calls you by your first name..."

Rachel averted her eyes and sighed in defeat. "Well, my parents don't call me Rachel, unless I'm in huge trouble and they pronounce my whole name. They only call me 'darling' or 'honey' or any other sweet name they give babies. And my brother calls me 'big sister' or my Numbuh. And because I go to an private school, they call me by my last name. So yeah."

Realizing that Nigel was in rapt attention caused her to blush even more. It was like he was interested greatly in her life! She finished. "Sometimes, I forget my name and have to repeat it to myself at least once a day."

"Well that sucks," His sunglasses were falling down his nose so he pushed it back up again. "My family says my name too much for comfort, putting little stupid sounds at the end to make it sound babyish and stuff like that."

"Like your girlfriend calling you 'Nigie'?" She gasped to herself when Nigel looked at her as if she'd grown a second head.

"How do you know what my girlfriend calls me?"

That's when she remembered that she was angry at him for his girlfriend's rudeness towards her. She folded her arms and looked away, annoyed.

"I was calling your Sector to talk to you about Father!"

This made Nigel deflate. "Oh...?"

"Yes, sir! And did you know what I discovered as soon as I got a hold of your treehouse?"

Nigel was definitely intimidated. "Uh... a tea party...?"

Rachel wanted to laugh at that remark if it wasn't so serious. "Nope. Your girlfriend wrecking up the place because you decided to go AWOL for something you guys are fighting about! Numbuh 1, I am serious!" Nigel gulped at the stern sound of his KND name. Rachel meant business. "You can't merge your private life with your professional life. I'm sure she damaged KND property because of her temper tantrum! And worse, you let your own comrades to deal with her!"

"I didn't know she went to the treehouse!" Nigel weakly defended. "I left after our date---"

"If your girlfriend is prone to get 'crazy' don't give her the access code to the treehouse. Numbuh 1, she was absolutely mean and rude! She called me a bossy girl who yells a lot!" That really was insulting. She rarely yells at all.

"She's not mean and rude! You're overreacting!" Nigel retorted hotly. "Don't assume somebody just because you've met them once! She's a very sweet girl and a wonderful person! Despite what everyone seems to feel, I really like her."

It was then that the color seemed to drain from Rachel's face and Nigel took notice of this. He dropped his angry tone. "Rachel? Are you alright?"

To hear Nigel defend his girlfriend so passionately made her seem cold. She couldn't understand this feeling. It was just, deep inside, she'd never felt so depressed before. Something felt like it broke, too. And it was hurting her, badly.

"Huh..? Oh, nothing Numbuh 1. I'm absolutely fine. And you're right, I shouldn't assume things on the dot," She shakenly stood up and took her leave. "I...gotta go now. Important things to do." She gave him a strained smile and a short wave as she hurried out of the cafeteria, ignoring him calling her name.

* * *

She ran back up to the Observation Deck which led to her private office into which she will promptly go into, lock the door and soundly cry her eyes out. But before she was even allowed to enter the Deck, Numbuh 86 stopped her.

"Sir, the report from Sector NY jus' came in a few minutes ago. It's really weird!"

"Put it on my desk in ten..." She thought about it a bit. "...make that twenty minutes, okay?" She kept her face hidden from Fanny. She was afraid that if she saw her, she'd break down from it all.

"Eh...okay, I guess." Fanny tried to look at her face, but it was purposefully covered by her mop of blond hair. "Aye, ow' come ye won't let me see yeh face, Numbuh 362? Did somebody threw another pimple bomb, because dose stoopid boys always---!"

"No, no! It's not it!" Rachel choked the last part. "I just need to get to my office that's all..."

Numbuh 60 suddenly burst through the door, looking as if he ran a marathon. He fell face forward. "U-urgent...big...important...!"

"Numbuh 362!" A familiar British voice offhandedly yelled, arriving on deck and nearly stepping on the exhausted Numbuh 60. "You left so suddenly! Are you alright?!" Rachel's groan ended up in a careful hiccup.

Numbuh 1 walked up to Rachel and tried to look her in the eye, as she precariously had them covered to hide her tears. "Are you ill...?"

Rachel let out a deep shudder and quick rubbed her eyes with a sleeve. "I'm fine. I just got something in my eye..." She took a deep breath and helped Nigel pick up Numbuh 60. "Okay, Patton. Since you almost busted a lung getting here, what news do you have to report?" As far as she was concerned crying would have to wait. She had a job to do.

Patton took several deep breaths and resumed his speech. "This is very urgent...! Global Command's Supreme Archives Director Numbuh 411, is officially missing!"

"What?!" Numbuh 1, 362, and 86 exclaimed in unison.

"That's impossible! I talked to her a few days ago. She said was going out of town for the KND Curator's Convention. Are you sure you weren't misinformed?" Rachel tilted her head to the side thoughtfully.

Patton seemed to expected this, for he immediately gave an answer. "The attendance roster doesn't show Numbuh 411 ever appearing there. Her parents are in an outrage!"

"Do you know precisely where the Convention was held?" Numbuh 1 asked seriously.

Numbuh 60 flipped a few pages of his report and replied back, reading the text. "It says here that the last time she was seen was boarding a plane to New York City and presumably disappeared afterwards."

Numbuh 86 made a start, causing Rachel to jump as well. "Aye! Tha' reminds meh of the report from Sector NY dat ye wanted, sir! Dey compiled a sole report from other sectors that had spotted Fatha' in der territory. Ee' was seen in Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Phoenix, Denver, Chicago, Miami, Nashville, and New York. They've also confirmed tha' Ee' is booking a flight to England."

"Hmm...that is strange," Numbuh 1 paced around the deck in his typical manner. "Why would father go cross-state in the United States? And even more so, be sighted at hotspot cities where there's a good chance of being spotted by stationed Sectors of the Kids Next Door?"

Rachel went into deep thought as well. "Numbuh 411 was last seen in New York City. Coincidence?"

"I think not!" Nigel answered in sync with her. "He might have discovered her location and kidnapped her en route to NYC. So the questions laid out to us is as follows: Why is Father traveling around and is now leaving for Europe?"

"And why does that have anything to do with Numbuh 411?" Rachel finished.

There was a deep silence in the small group for a little bit and then Patton piped his theory.

"Maybe...it has something to do with her job?"

Fanny raised a disapproving eyebrow at him. "Aye, and what's so darn important about an Archives Director ye stoopid boy?"

Rachel dropped her folded arms in shock, a lightbulb glowing in her head. "Archives. Maybe Father wants some information on the KND."

"That's impossible. Archive Directors are nerds, right?" Nigel reasoned. "They would've done a Harry Potter and announced a Secret Keeper so if they were ever apprehended, it would be impossible to gather information without a Secret Keeper to tattle."

"So whoose Secret Keepa'?" Fanny demanded.

Rachel felt the nachos in her gut turn to stone. "The Supreme Leader..."

Nigel put a comforting hand on her shoulder which caused the blond to lightly jump. "Don't worry, Numbuh 362. Father can't arrive on Moonbase without an army of KND operatives waiting at the front door."

"It's not that..." Rachel answered worriedly. "He doesn't need me. He already has a Secret Keeper."

This made a start among the kids. She continued. "Think about it. The Archive Directors were in a hurry to make a Secret Keeper that they said that the Supreme Leader would be the tattle. But they never narrowed out _former _Supreme Leaders--"

"And because Father was once a Supreme Leader, he's also a Secret Keeper!" Nigel exclaimed.

Everyone groaned in disappointment. So much for the steel solid protection nerds had to offer!

"There's more from the report from Sector NY," Fanny pushed the paper to the bottom to read it more thoroughly. "It says, 'We infiltrated Fatha's hotel room at the Plaza and that was where we discovered brochures ta Europe, most likely ta England and a magazine of the rock concert, Warped Tour, fa teenagers. Moving to the bathroom, we discovered writing on the mirror like Ee' knew we were dropping by. It only had a number on it: 777.'"

"777?" Nigel rubbed his chin in thought. "Why a number?"

"What about a 'Numbuh'?" Rachel said weakly. "Like, Numbuh 777?"

"Numbuh 777?!" Fanny exclaimed. "As in, da Legendary Operative 777?!"

"How'd you come up with that conclusion?" Nigel inquired the quiet Rachel.

She shrugged her small shoulders a little. Nigel had just realized how weak she looked from months of overloaded work. "Think about it. Father kidnaps poor Amy because she knows everything about the KND _operatives_ archives. That's her calling. The 777 on the mirror couldn't have been a coincidence as her story is as strange as the Weredogs. And it hits close to home. Numbuh 777 used to be part of the 13th Sector Z. One sector before he Delightfulized the last Sector Z and created the Delightful Children. Unfortunately, that's all I know apart from what Amy knows. Everything else about her is a mystery."

"The last Sector Z?" Patton looked confused. "I don't get it."

"Yer such an idiot," Fanny quipped affectionately. "Ye know the Delightful Children from Down the Lane, righ'?" Patton nodded. "Okay, well dey used to be the 14th Secta Z in this era of KND. Dey were kidnapped by Fatha and was Delightfulized permanently."

"The infamous Numbuh 777 belonged to the _13th_ Sector Z," Rachel clarified. "The last generation before _our _missing Sector Z. That should make her and her former Sector Z members in their middle to late teens. I'm pretty sure they were enlisted during Numbuh 100 to 274's reign as Supreme Leader..."

"Oh, come on, Rachel! We all know 777 doesn't exist!" Nigel shook his head. "That's just a fairytale to cheer up the little girl operatives who cry after a failed mission."

"Jus' like Numbuh Zero was to you stoopid boys?!" Fanny poked at Nigel's chest threateningly. "But Ee' turned out to be yer dad an Ee' did exist, didn't Ee'?! Don't go actin' like aye, aye...!"

"Hypocrite?" Rachel helped her out in a meek voice.

"Aye! A hippocrit! Stoopid boy!" Fanny twisted on her heel and stormed out the deck, Patton following her to try and pacify her.

"Jeez..." Nigel rubbed his head.

Rachel sat on her chair and relaxed. "You know better than to talk to Fanny about crying girls."

The calm and sereneness of her voice made Nigel feel visibly relaxed like he was floating on a marshmallow. "I guess you're right." He could see the exhausted leader's eyes droop as her body began to slump. She looked like a pretty doll.

Nigel slapped his own head. He did consider Rachel a very pretty girl, who could get any guy she wanted by snapping her fingers. From what he had heard, she lived in a wealthy neighborhood with a prominent family rolling in riches, she goes to an elite private school for the gifted, she's talented in violin and piano and was well-mannered and good natured. She also cares deeply about the KND and would go to great lengths to keep it alive and well. (The whole scenario of eating mountains of broccoli to stop Father was living proof.)

"Nigel...?" He snapped from his thoughts to see Rachel glancing at him beneath her eyelashes.

"Listen Rachel, whatever I said to make you upset before in the cafeteria, I'm sorry," He admitted it. Seeing her look close to tears broke his heart. "I didn't mean to undermine your intelligence. Lizzie had no right to be rude to someone, especially to someone she didn't even know. I apologize on her behalf."

Rachel shook her head and let it limp to the other side, away from Nigel. "It doesn't matter anymore. What's important is stopping Father from whatever he's doing and rescue Amy, right?"

"Absolutely."

* * *

Rachel and Nigel had decided to take on the case on their own as the fewer members go, the less chance of being spotted. And since Nigel had family back in England and Rachel pretended to go on the Art Gallery field trip with her class, it was the perfect cover-up.

Rachel watched as Nigel gentlemanly proceeded to put her carry-on bag on the top cabinet of their seats. There were few people getting on the plane as it was still early until take off.

She tried not to laugh as he began to grunt in annoyance, trying to fit her luggage into the cabinet.

"Honestly, Rachel! What do you have in this thing anyways?! A couple of cannon balls?!"

She laughed and gave him a hand, helping him heave it into the carrier. "In case you haven't noticed, _I'm a girl_, Nigel-sweety. There's no such thing as too much baggage!"

Nigel turned red at the pet name. It sounded very intimate for some reason. Like a wife sweetly scolding her husband. At least she was considerate enough not to warp his name to 'Nigie' or 'Nigiekins' or even the worse pet name Lizzie had given him yet: 'Nigiefluffywuffyshinycutsykins'!

She questioned the look on his face and gently patted him on his shiny bald head. "I was just joking, Numbuh 1! The carry-on bag is full of weapons! In case we get attacked on the airplane by evil adults."

"O-oh! Oh, I knew that!" He wasn't really thinking of the bag, just her gentle, playful voice that's causing him to shake in embarrassment. Lizzie never had this effect on him.

After the bag was nice and snug in the compartment, Rachel and Nigel took their seats.

There was still one mystery left to be solved, and Rachel just had an itch to know. "Nigel?"

He didn't look up from the huge map he was holding, apparently trying to figure out Father's next move. "Hmm?"

She cutely tilted her head to the side. "I'm curious. What was it that Lizzie wanted to give you but you ditched her and took shelter at Moonbase?"

Nigel looked ahead and blinked. He turned to look at her with a dodged look on his face. "It's nothing, really."

"But I want to know!"

He surrendered to her prodding. His answer caused her to smack her forehead in utter annoyance.

"She wanted to share relationship rings with me."

Transmission Interrupted


	3. Anthem of Our Dying Day

A/N: **(sighs) **You don't know how grueling it is to read through this over and over again looking for mistakes...I need a beta...

A/N/N: Oh, yes. About my week-long absence, I've been moving to a new house and restoring it, so I only had time to type up the next chapter. Plus, there were technical difficulties from our internet provider, so yeah, it's life! ONWARD TO READING!!!

* * *

Connection Re-established

Chapter 3: Anthem of Our Dying Day

It was nightfall in the plane. Many people have already settled themselves in the cheap pillows and blankets Second Class had to offer. There was only one light shimmering in this completely dark corridor and it belonged to two twelve year old children.

Nigel poured over his map and reports, calculations and possible enemy movement running through his mind faster than Numbuh 2's run for chili dogs. He made several click marks on the map, tracing his finger over all the locations Father had been to, as if hoping they'd make some sort of symbol or any clue as to where he was heading to after England.

He was about to ask Rachel if there was any new news from Moonbase when he stared to his side and saw the tired Supreme Leader snoring silently in her seat, wrapped in what's left of her fetal position on the cheap plaster. The earphones which was secretly used to hear Numbuh 86's reports from Moonbase dangled into her blond tresses.

Nigel was at calm about her. Normally, if he worked well into the night, Lizzie would give him an earful about working too hard or sleeping is important like he was some baby. But Rachel had told him one time to get some sleep and returned to her duty. He enjoyed her quiet demeanor and it made her voice feel more appreciated to him than anyone else.

Dare he think it, but being treated like an...adult, felt very self-gratifying.

Rachel groaned in her sleep as he called for the stewardess to bring a pillow and blanket for her. But he felt a deep disappointment when the stewardess wrapped his blond comrade in the blanket and adjusted the seat so she can rest in a more bed like environment. He could've done that himself...

The adult also took the liberty of giving him a pillow. "You should get some sleep too, kiddo! It's midnight!" She gave him a sunny smile and went on her way.

He pouted childishly. Like he couldn't even read his own watch or something!

Yawning from lack of sleep, he decided to tuck in for the night and proceeded to turn off his light. His hand nearly grazed the top switch when he heard a soft whimper in front of him.

A child no older than six was staring at him from between the two seats in front of them, eyes wandering at his hand against the light.

He understood, gave her a nod and pulled his hand away. The little girl gave him a bright smile and turned back to her seat to snuggle against her mom and sleep.

Leaning back on his seat he glanced over to Rachel and jumped. She was staring at him, a trembled grin gracing her face, like she was trying not to laugh.

"What?" He demanded quietly.

She twisted away from him so he wouldn't see her grin split into a huge smile, her shoulders visibly shaking in laughter. "That. Was. So. Cute!"

His blush was so huge, he looked like a red lemon. "Don't put me and 'cute' in the same sentence!"

Trying to get her laugh together, she heard someone's iPod blaring from their earphones. Her favorite song was playing. Discovering that a young woman behind her was behind the music, she coaxed her in her direction.

"I love that song! Can you turn it up, please?" The young woman looked around as if doing so would get her in trouble and then smiled, turning the volume up.

"Hey, Numbuh 362! Don't ignore me! There's nothing cute about helping kids! That's our job, remember?!" He was trying desperately to prove what he did was far from cute, but Rachel completely ignored him.

She finally used the diversion to get herself together and turned back to her sputtering friend. She relaxed against her seat listening serenely to a bold woman singing. "It was cute, Nigel. I just thought that you were so sweet, that's all."

Nigel cursed the blush that went to high heaven. Then, maybe in some innate hope to learn more about his commander, his ears pricked up on what she was so lovingly listening to. He blinked.

"Who sings this?"

"Kelly Clarkson," Rachel whispered as if in a trance. "Never Again."

Nigel frowned. "Did I say something wrong?"

She snorted cutely and opened one eye to glance at him. "That's what the song is called, Nigel Uno."

"Didn't know you were a Kelly Clarkson fan," Nigel said aloud to himself.

"Why?"

"Well, most girls around our age like, you know, Hannah Montana or something..."(1) He explained.

Rachel made a face. "Her songs are too sugary for me. I get cavities." She opened her mouth wide in an adorable fashion.

He laughed at her childish demeanor, but sobered up when she asked him, "Does Lizzie like Hannah Montana?"

He sighed. "Yes, she does. I must endure her music whenever I visit her house. Sometimes even sing with her."

Rachel's lips pursed like she ate something sour. The thought of Nigel singing Hannah Montana songs was hilarious. Of course, she hid her face from him at the time.

As the song ended, Nigel surprised Rachel with a comment. "What a depressing song."

"Depressing?" Rachel repeated. "I think it's empowering!"

"She's going all insane just because her boyfriend left her for someone else. It happens all the time." He defended further.(2)

He was fell silent when Rachel was looking at him strangely. Like she was examining something inside of him. Her intimidation was awe-inspiring if he wasn't taking the brunt of it. "So, when you are promised true love and being together always and then that person who you trusted and loved just up and leaves you for someone else is only just unfortunate?"

Her maturity fascinated him. "If they really were your true love, you wouldn't have to worry about being rejected." Nigel clarified for her, but the overall silence made it seem clear that she had won this battle. What if Lizzie just up and left him like that as well? She had repeated over and over of hating for him to choose work over her and yet she's still with him.

And him? If he just left her for someone else, would that mean he would be like the guy in the song who is being scorned at so brutally? Would Lizzie wish the worst in his new relationship like the singer did in the song?

Or, is it something deeper?

"Maybe..." Rachel looked up thoughtfully. "He never really _was _with her. Maybe she was in love with him secretly and he picked up on that, told her it wouldn't work out despite wanting to be with her as well and she was angry because not admitting his feelings hurts the both of them. They're forced to live a lie for the rest of their days and so she scorns him for it."

He tried to imagine Rachel scorning him and Lizzie's relationship and flushed. That would mean he'd love Rachel back! And that she liked him as well. He chuckled nervously, surprising Rachel.

Naw, that would mean that he cared for her in a boyfriend/girlfriend kind of way...! They're just friends! Good, good, good fri--oh my gum! Lose that thought!

Rachel watched in interest at the internal battle Nigel was fighting in himself being mirrored on his face.

"Yikes, Nigel! Relax. It's just a song. We're too young to understand it anyways." This made Nigel sort of relax. "Let's get some sleep. We've got work to do tomorrow--I mean, today." She glanced at her watch. It read 12:30.

"You're absolutely right. Goodnight, Rachel." He nervously twisted so he can face the window, away from her questioning gaze.

"Night, Nigel."

* * *

Rachel yawned and stretched to her tip-toes, enjoying the scent of after rain.

They had landed in London, where they believe is where Father is plotting his next move. The sky was heavily overcast, with dark gray clouds hanging over them. The only light are the little sunbeams peeking out as best they can in between the sinister clouds. She enjoyed rainy days greatly.(3)

"Not the best weather conditions for spy work," Nigel commented as he stood beside the stretching Supreme Leader. He could see that she'd grown a lot for a twelve year old and had to remind himself that girls mature quickly than boys did. Her hair had grown an inch or two and was hung rather nicely on her shoulders, her body had begun to turn slender and he could discreetly see her chest beginning to develop as she was close to becoming a teenager.(4)

He bitterly tried to think of Lizzie out of commitment to his duty as her boyfriend and how far she developed as well. Nope, still the same and rather a little bit more chunky than he had remember her. If he ever mentioned that aloud in her presence though, he'd probably be given a good right hook to the jaw.

"You're right. If there's a downpour while on the job, the Common Cold might make a pit stop here," She hefted her backpack onto one of her shoulders looking rather fondly at the sky. "But, it's nice to watch rain from behind a window."

They walked into the warm airport waiting for Nigel's relatives to come and pick them up. Rachel had wandered into a Starbucks Cafe to look for some breakfast for them and Nigel picked up his reports and resumed working in one of the waiting seats.

He stopped in mid-thought a little later on when a steaming cup was in his view. He looked up and saw Rachel's pretty smile amongst the loud chatter of people. He watched her mesmerizing bright brown eyes transfixed, unable to move.

"Nigel, I got some hot chocolate and danishes." Her voice stunned him further more into a stupor. It felt so...intimate. "We've got to keep our energy up if we're going to be locked in a battle with Father."

Rachel looked worriedly at her partner's vague expression. She set the bag full of pastries on the empty chair beside him and squatted down to see if he's looking at her or someone else. He followed her movements.

She waved her hand in front of his eyes. "Nigel? Nigel Uno? Earth to Numbuh 1, are you in there?"

He snapped from his stupor and sat back. "I...must be overworking myself."

"Wow, you? I'd never guess," She playfully said as she sat next to him, handing him the chocolate and danish.

They ate in silence until Rachel gasped in alarm.

"Rachel?" Nigel wondered as he watched the blond ruffle the side of her head.

"It's the earpiece. I'm getting a transmission from Moonbase," She answered him as she stood up to try and get a signal.

The frequency buzzed in and out. She could barely make out Fanny's voice on the other line.

"Nigel, I'm going to go outside. There's too much interference here." She began to walk out the doors.

Nigel stood up. "I'll accompany you, Rachel."

She waved for him to sit down. "No, it'll be a minute. You need to keep watch for your relatives!"

Sure enough, as soon as she walked outside, the transmitter became clear and she could hear Fanny finally.

"Numbuh 362? Are ye there?" Fanny said on the other line.

"Yes, Numbuh 86. Any new information for us?"

"Aye, I 'eard somethin' interestin' from Secta' AZ," Fanny proclaimed. "Dey' say dat' there's somethin' funny aboot Fatha's movements. Ee' seems to follow around somethin' called da' 'Warped Tour'."(5)

"Warped Tour?" Rachel covered her mouth in deep concentration. "Wasn't that on the report Sector NY wrote about?"

"Aye, sir! His traveling follows da' Warped Tour's concert schedule. We think tha' Numbuh 411(6) may 'ave told him tha' Numbuh 777 goes to dat' tour." Fanny theorized.

Rachel thought for loop holes and came up with one. "That's impossible that Amy told him. He captured her before he went to England, and all that time, he was be tailing the Warped Tour in the U.S. Someone must've informed him about the Warped Tour without her. He must need her to identify 777 once he manages to get inside the concert!"

"Oh, sir, and anotha' thin'," Fanny added, a bit nervously.

"Yes?"

There was a silence and then, "Eet came from Secta' V. Numbuh 1's girlfriend found out about yoose two guys travelin' togetha' ta find 411 from Numbuh 3 and eet's bad."

She returned to Nigel a bit irked and annoyed. Nigel took notice of this.

"Did something happen, Rachel?"

"Your girlfriend called. When we come back after beating Father, she's going to wrung your neck..." Rachel rolled her eyes. "...and stomp on mine."

Nigel raised an eyebrow. "You're kidding."

"Did I stutter?" Her mood was going down hill each passing second. She couldn't believe someone like her wouldn't even trust someone as honest as Nigel!

He sighed and stood up, finally setting his notes down and stared at the ceiling window, pelting rain away like an invisible force field. "I can't believe her." He crossed his arms in a gruff fashion.

Despite seeing Nigel solemnly disappointed, she felt like cheering inside. It seems their relationship is shaking, badly.

"Nigel!" A voice yelled from far off. They turned to see a boy in his teens with cheerful brownish red hair and a friendly disposition.

"Who's that?" Rachel picked up her bag of weapons more securely.

Nigel walked forward. "That's my cousin, Blake. And he's brought--"

"Numbuh 10!" Rachel met Nigel's beautiful cousin halfway. "How are you these days?"

"Fine, sir. Wow, you look amazing! I haven't seen you outside of your usual uniform!" The beautiful redhead hugged Rachel and held her at arms length to get a better look at her casual appearance. "You know what? I think you should get the title of prettiest girl in the KND."

Rachel laughed, red in the face. "Stop that, Belle. That's your title."(7)

Actually, Nigel had to agree with his cousin, but he wasn't going to say that aloud. "How's it going, Blake?" He held up his hand for his older cousin to shake.

He shook Nigel's hand gingerly. "Good. Still bald I see," Blake ran his fingers through his hair as if trying to make his cousin jealous.

"Still idiotic, I see," He thrusted the luggage none to gently into Blake's arms. He didn't see what was wrong with his hair—or, headstyle, (You see, in case you've been living in a rock all your life, he's bald). In a few years, it would grow back the way it was before the Delightful Dorks robbed him of his chestnut locks.

They walked out of the airport, Rachel and Belle chatting animatedly to each other while the boys silently walked right behind them.

"You know," Blake was behind the wheel of his car confiding smugly to Nigel as the girls were comfortably seated in the back, talking about the new vehicles for Moonbase. Nigel could vaguely see Blake watch Rachel from the rear view mirror. "Your Supreme Leader is pretty hot."

"I wouldn't talk about her so..." Nigel looked for a word to suit his growing annoyance. "...informally, without being properly confident with each other."

Blake seemed to be way ahead of him. "Then hook me up with her! C'mon, help your cousin out! I'm like a big brother to you."

"The annoying part or the stupid part?" Nigel folded his arms and looked straight out onto the road. "And I absolutely refuse to 'hook you up' with my commander! What am I, a dating service? And you're like, what? Five years older than her?"

"So? Chicks dig older guys!" He then looked at him from the corner of his eye, a smirk playing on his lips. "You don't...have a 'thing' for her, do you?"

Nigel dropped his arms in alarm. "What?!"

"Are you two-timing Lizzie?"

"No! Of course not!" Nigel spluttered angrily. "I'd never do that!"

"Why are you so defensive?" Blake smirked. "It's like you can't see anybody else with that cute blond. You're like a jealous Hulk."

Nigel growled and kicked his feet up on the dashboard to annoy his cousin.

"Hey, you degenerate! Get your big feet off my baby!" Blake snarled. He shoved his feet over with one hand on the wheel. "Jeez, I can't lay a joke on you without you messing up my ride."

"Knock it off over there!" Belle teasingly kicked the back of Blake's seat. "Be like men and keep quiet! We're talking confidential stuff back here!"

Blake made a sharp turn to rattle Numbuh 10. "Deciding whether your nails match your clothes don't count as 'confidential stuff'."

"For your information, my big dumb brother of mine, we're talking about the Warped Tour!" Belle retorted. She stuck her tongue at him beyond his rear view mirror.

"What about the Warped Tour?" Nigel lifted himself so he can turn on his seat and look at the girls.

Rachel smacked her head. She forgot to tell him of what 86 relied to her about Father's movements!

She opened her mouth to explain but was stopped short as Numbuh 10 pointed ahead of them, the direction towards a dome they were driving towards, many teens and adults waiting impatiently in line. "That's the Warped Tour!" The redhead chirped. "Your American rock bands play every year here. Their tour schedule requires them to go around Europe. First London, then Barcelona, Rome, Greece, Amsterdam--"

"Can you drop us off here?" Rachel stuck her head in between the front seats, pointing at an alley close to the dome.

"Why?" Blake inquired as he took another sharp turn to avoid missing the destination.

Rachel turned her head to Nigel. "86 informed me that Father is tailing the Warped Tour's schedule. We assume that 777 is stationed there."

Not once questioning Rachel's judgment, he nodded. "Blake, we have KND business now and that alley is a good cover up!"

"I'll go too!" Belle unhooked her seatbelt.

"Hey, hey! What am I supposed to tell Gran if we're late?!" As soon as Blake parked the car in the alley, the three preteens jumped out like they were on fire and moved quickly to the trunk to get preparation going.

Numbuh 10 rolled her eyes at Blake, "Go and tell her the 'car broke down' excuse, like you did when you were going on that date when you were supposed to be babysitting me."

He went red. "Hey, we all know we can take care of yourself just fine. Gran's just overprotective!"

"Yeah, yeah."

Rachel took out her precious R.O.O.M.A. out of her bag. She wouldn't go anywhere without it.

(Computer: Kids Next Door- R.O.O.M.A. 'Really Outrageous One Man Army')

Nigel handed his cousin the W.O.F.F.U., and he took the F.O.S.S.E.Y.

(Computer: Kids Next Door- W.O.F.F.U. 'Watch Out For Flying Utensils'. F.O.S.S.E.Y. 'Far Out Super Scrambled Egg Yolker'.) (8)

"So...how'd you manage to stick a chicken in your knapsack without detection from airport security...?" Numbuh 10 frowned in confusion. (9)

Rachel answered amidst searching her backpack for the DNA tracker Numbuh 2 invented for them to find Numbuh 777. "You'd be surprised how well-trained Numbuh 12-dozen's chickens are. As quiet as a _stuffed _animal."

Finding the DNA tracker, they began to walk out the alley.

"Hey! Just what are your plans, great ol' mighty, KND?" Blake's sarcastic tone made Nigel and Belle slump in annoyance.

"Simple. Infiltrate the Warped Tour, find Father, beat the stuffing out of him and demand where Numbuh 411 is," Nigel raised his eyebrow. "Or do I have to dumb it down for you, Blake?"

Blake rolled his eyes and rapped the top of his car in boredom. "Okay, KNDork, let me ask you this: how the heck are you gonna get pass security with so called weapons in the form of an over sized Swiss Army Knife, a bow and utensil, and a water gun with a chicken stuck in it?" The kids sighed at Blake's disbelieving tone. "Oh and above all, you need tickets to get in. How are you gonna figure that out, fearless leader?"

Rachel gave him a reassuring smile. "This is why we're KND. Kids don't look at the limits, we go beyond it."

Blake took this in stride and grinned. "Well, I can't argue with that. Come back in one piece, okay cutie pie? I wanna show you Big Ben."

"He better be talking about the clock tower, the stupid perv," Numbuh 10 said bitterly to herself while pushing the fuming Nigel and the embarrassed Rachel along.

"Don't call her 'cutie pie', you dolt!" Numbuh 1 snarled at the still smirking Blake.

"Take good care of my sweetheart, Nigel! Meet me back here when your done playing!"

"She's not your sweetheart!"

Rachel was confused because Belle giggled at the remark. Was there an inside English joke she wasn't in on?

Transmission Interrupted

* * *

Wiki Time!

(1) Hannah Montana should be pretty popular among young girls, being Disney's star and all. Though, I consider Rachel to be more mature than that, so I bestowed the lovely Kelly Clarkson on her. What? Her music rox!

(2) My boyfriend quoted this one. What an idiot...but I love him!

(3) Yeah, everytime I visit England, it's always rainy or gloomy. Not that I complain as much, I love storms!

(4) I emphasized that they were twelve years old, right? Anyhow, Rachel should be in that awkward stage from girl to woman and should be growing in certain places. How can Nigel _not _see the noticeable difference?!

(5) The Warped Tour is real, by the way. Reserved for rocking out loud, they travel across the states, though I'm not sure they go cross-continental...I've been to one once, awesome. I'm still deaf from the loud music!

(6) If no one noticed, Numbuh 411 is a play on the phone number for 'information'.

(7) No one knows Numbuh 10's real name, so I assume she has a name for 'beauty' since she's the prettiest girl in the KND. Belle is an English/French term for beauty.

(8) Yes, those are actual KND weapons. You can find them on Wiki, or something...I recommend the Numbuh Generator on seems to have better luck at hiding weapons from airport security than Nigel did in Operation ENGLAND. Then again, he brought an army full of them. And men say that we bring too much stuff for traveling!

Please review! I'm so loooonnnnellllyyyy!!!! (sob)


	4. Headstrong

Connection Re-established

Chapter 4: Headstrong

They could hear Blake's laughter even after they left the alleyway and into the very loud crowd forming around the dome.

"Oh! I can't wait to see this, yo!"(1)

"Yeah, this is gonna be the bomb!"

"Stupid teenagers and their stupid lingo..." Nigel muttered bitterly as they circled the dome.

"At least they don't draw attention to us," Rachel reminded him as she moved the tracker around, looking for the signal that sounded when 777 is near.

Numbuh 10's keen eye traveled across the line. "I don't see Father, the Delightful Children, or Numbuh 411 anywhere near here, guys."

"Maybe he's already one step ahead of us and is already in the dome." Nigel suggested, his sunglasses glinting in what little light the dreary sky had to offer. "If we don't find a signal here, we're going to infiltrate the Warped concert."

It was then that Rachel picked up a signal. "I found her!"

"I thought the Code Module was broken. How were you able to find 777's DNA?" Belle followed Nigel and Rachel to the other side of the dome.

"Simple, the curator of the KND museum, Numbuh 101, had a strand of her hair up for display. We borrowed it from him, under my orders of course," Rachel answered, her eyes not moving from the ticking item. She moved ahead of them as the signal got louder.

"Simple my butt! My hand's still cramping from signing his stupid autograph book in every crayon of the 52 box set!" Nigel gnashed his teeth at the memory, but then felt very satisfied about signing every US Presidents' names instead of his own into the book. No doubt Matt at this moment is ripping his hair out because his autograph book is now ruined. Nigel was going to have to remind himself to find Matt and gleefully thank him for allowing him to refresh his memory of US Presidents for class. Sweet victory.

"Yeah, well you know what everyone's saying nowadays: 'One small step for Nigel Uno, is one giant leap for KND'. I think signing your name fifty-two times is a cakewalk compared to the many rumors I've heard about you," Numbuh 10 said crossly. "The Zero Incident? Gran would have a heart attack if she knew the stuff you were doing!"

"Then don't tell her, duh! End of story," Nigel retorted in annoyance.

She stuck her tongue at him. "Don't get saucy with me, Nigel Uno! Just because Blake's riled you up a bit because he likes the Supreme Leader doesn't mean you can take it out on me! And why not? He's just joking around! Maybe she can set him straight if I set them up."

"You're not going to do that!" Nigel said angrily. "I'm not gonna let you!" The thought of just standing there watching Blake take advantage of Rachel made him feel like hot lava was burning into his skin so infuriatingly.

"Excuse me?!" Belle was getting angry fairly quickly. "Why not? She's not taken!"

"Because he doesn't deserve her!"

"That's not your decision, it's hers!" She defended back.

"Well it's none of your stupid business to interfere with her personal life!" He snarled right back at her.

"It's none of your business either! And why do you care? It's not as if you _love _her or something!" She raised an eyebrow at the froze look on her simpering cousin's face. Realization hit her like a ton of bricks.

"Nigel..." She whispered disapprovingly.

"Shut up!" Nigel walked ahead of her, very disturbed. "You're reaching the wrong conclusion!"

"Am I?" She muttered to herself as she followed them to the back.

* * *

The tracker led them to the backstage entrance, where very few teens who had the right passes had been let in by two big security guards.

"She's in there! And she's close!" Rachel turned to inform her comrades to find Nigel looking extremely irked and his cousin staring worriedly at him from behind his back.

"Did something happen, guys?" The blond asked the quiet duo.

"Nothing," They both retorted glumly in unison.

"O...kay...follow my lead," Rachel hoped that her small stature would go unnoticed if she blended with the teens who had passes.

She almost made it inside when the Security Guard noticed her and picked her up with one hand. "Where's your pass, girly?"

"Um...I left it in there! I had to go to the bathroom! Let me in, my brother is going to get in trouble if he's not watching me!"(2) She lied through her teeth expertly.

The second guard looked at her funnily. "There's a bathroom inside and if you left it in there, how come we don't recognize you?!"

"I don't know!" She pretended to almost burst in tears. "I'm just a kid!"

"However truthful that may be, you're still not allowed in." He dropped her. "Now beat it kid before I call your folks."

Rachel was about to hightail it back to the others when she saw Cree and Maurice backstage, talking animatedly to each other.

Teen Ninjas! That meant that Father was somewhere inside!

Everything was silent all around her when she also saw Chad there, her heart stopping unpleasantly.

Of course, Chad would be there. He was part of the Teen Ninjas after all...

But...her heart clenched against her ribcage and found it hard to breath when she saw him talking to another girl. She was obviously being wooed at his charm.

She shook her head so fast, her brain was hammering back and forth inside her skull painfully. She had a job to do. Getting sidetracked could get you in trouble! Taking a huge breath, she observed the situation and began to think logically.

Also remembering that Maurice was part of the Teens Next Door, he may be able to give her some insight without blowing his cover if he recognized her now. Deciding on her mentally created plan she took charge.

"DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM?!" She bellowed loudly at the guards, but mostly so Maurice can hear her. "MY NAME IS RACHEL MCKENZIE AND I DEMAND YOU LET ME IN HERE AT ONCE!"

"Rachel! What are you doing?!" Nigel hissed in alert.

Rachel's plan worked like a charm, because Maurice put two and two together and his eyes widened in recognition of his Supreme Leader.

"Rachel McKenzie...? It can't be...!" Chad ignored the girl he was talking to completely, much to the girl's chagrin and immediately tried to find the location of the shout, only to find Maurice acting quickly and shielding him from finding her.

"McKenzie? Is she your ex-girlfriend or something?" Maurice nervously joked. "Is she hot?"

Upon Chad realizing that Maurice was decommissioned so he wouldn't remember the current Supreme Leader of the KND, he laughed. "Yeah, she was one tough broad. And being adorable was like a cherry on the sundae! I doubt it's her, though. There are a lot of Rachel McKenzie's out there! But I wouldn't mind seeing her if she was around.." This earned him a gigantic huff from the girl he was charming and she stormed off. Chad shrugged nonchalantly and began to chat with Maurice about his ex-girlfriends.(3)

"Listen, you rugrat! I don't care if you're the Queen of England, you ain't getting in without a pass, now move it!" He shoved her aside, causing her to fall forward. Numbuh 1 made it in time to catch her from falling.

"You barbarian! You can't treat a woman that way!" Numbuh 10 yelled at the offending adult.

"She's not a woman," the Security guard laughed. "She's just a kid."

"Thanks, Nigel," Rachel said from the safety of his arms. "I'm fine."

But Nigel didn't want to let go of her. Was this growing up? Or, something...

He grudgingly let go of her and she brushed herself off gingerly. "Well, that went well."

"What were you yelling for?" Nigel inquired.

"Hmm..." She looked back at him smug. "We may not be able to get in, but we do have a mole inside."

"Who?" Numbuh 10 tried to think of possible moles. "Sector E?"

"Older. Maurice is in there," Nigel raised an eyebrow. "And so is the Teen Ninjas. Father's definitely in there."

"But you won't make it inside. Ever." A metallic, drone sounding voice sneered from the shadows.

By instinct, they took out their weapons. "Show yourself!" Numbuh 1 demanded.

"With pleasure." The figure stepped out, his features looking very familiar.

"Delightfulized," Rachel gaped. "A delightful teenager?!"

Nigel looked at him in disgusting horror. "There are _more _of you?!"(4)

"Pitiful Kids Next Door. Is this the best your organization can offer? Girls?" The delightful teenager droned on, an evil smirk on his features.

"Who are you calling a girl, you Delightful Troll?!" Nigel pointed his weapon dangerously towards the enemy's face. "Such talk for a defenseless robot with weapons pointed at him!"

The Delightful Teen only smirked as if their tools were useless. "Poor Nigel Uno. Your biggest flaw is your underestimation of people. Did you think I'd come after a bunch of kids on my own?" He snapped his fingers and figures jumped down, surrounding the three operatives.

"The Rowdy Hooligans From Across the Square!" Numbuh 1 and 10 exclaimed. Rachel only raised an eyebrow. "Who are they?"

"I only bear one message to you KND insects: Do not follow after 777." The Delightfulized Teen laughed as he returned to the shadows. "Destroy them."

The Rowdy Hooligans jumped at them and Nigel clicked his heels to activate the rockets in his shoes. "Grab on!"

Rachel and Numbuh 10 attached themselves to Nigel as they skyrocketed up in the air shooting their ammo at the disoriented Hooligans. Reaching a subtle distance as the rockets ran out of fuel, they ran, the Hooligans charging after them.

"What gives?! Who the heck are you guys?!" Rachel yelled behind her shoulder in mid run as the Hooligans gave a charging scream at them.

They were trapped in a dark alleyway with a solid brick wall in their path.

"We're going to have to fight them man to--" The girls looked at Nigel in annoyance. "I mean, kid to kid." The chicken in his gun screeched as he forced it to load more eggs.

"Why are you following Father's orders?" Belle snarled at them. "You don't care about anyone's plans but your own!"

"Aye, but Father promised to turn the concert into a Football stadium if we destroy you blokes!" The leader's grin was lecherous. "And anyone who wants Football here is an ally of ours!"(5)

"Weak fools!" Rachel shot toothpaste from her R.O.O.M.A. and smacked it straight into the leader's mouth causing him to sputter and yell.

"Aah!! Minnnntttt!!!"

Nigel motioned Belle and grabbed Rachel's hand. "Time to go!" While the Hooligans were too preoccupied helping out their leader, the KND bust through them using his rocket shoes as leverage to boost their speed.

As promised, Blake was waiting by the car, having a smoke.

"Blake! Put out that cancer stick and start the car!" Belle skidded professionally on her butt against the hood of the car, causing Blake to drop his cigarette in shock at the rough treatment.

"Don't treat my car so shamefully!" He bellowed angrily, but his cries went unheard as Nigel forced him inside the driver's seat.

"No time for punishing! Step on it!" Nigel let Rachel in first and then dived into the backseat with Belle as the tires screeched loudly.

Blake made a disbelieving frown as a couple of rowdy looking kids were chasing his car momentarily until they gave up and disappeared into the streets. "What the--? What the heck did you do under the process of ten minutes?!"

"Our jobs, stupid," Belle retorted sheepishly. "Looks like we failed this mission...man!"

Rachel shook her head encouragingly. "We've got a TND operative in there, so it's not a total failure. Let's just hope that Father hasn't found Numbuh 777 yet."

Nigel sighed angrily. "Agreed. Let's return to Gran's for a regroup."

"What's your Gran like?" Rachel dropped the KND subject for Nigel's sake. An impatient Nigel was a risk-driven Numbuh 1.

"Senile." Blake and Nigel responded shortly. Belle shook her head at the boys.

"Rude little things: boys. Gran may be old, okay..._very _old," She scoffed at the nodded assent from the boys. "Not everything is up there in the noggin, but harmless..._very _harmless." She contradicted the shaking heads of her relatives.

"Please, remember that one time I forgot the milk?" Blake gripped the steering wheel. "She threw my Cd's out the window!"

"You deserved it," Belle snapped back. "She repeated it to you a thousand times! Plus, you came back with a girl on your arm instead of groceries! If I was Gran, I'd be less generous and have thrown your TV instead."

"Only because you're evil!" He retorted.

This went on for quite some time...

* * *

"Nigel! Oh, look how you've grown, sweety! You're becoming a man, just like your father!" Gran grabbed the sheepish Nigel and hugged him to the point of lack of air.

Nigel panicked. He didn't want to look like his dad! "Um...good to see you too, Gran."

Rachel examined the warm old woman. She was rather old, with fair gray hair and bespectacled silver eyes.

In fact, as Rachel interestedly peered into, they were almost the same color as Nigel's, who held solid, storm-like eyes. Gran's was lighter, though, and seemed to sparkle with warmth and mirth.

She let go of him and proceeded to Rachel, who was tethering near the doorway nervously, unable to decide whether she should let herself in or not.

"And you've brought Elizabeth along too! How nice! I'm grateful that you're keeping my grandson in line! He's always into the...skateboards, or whatever doo-hickey risky little boys are doing these days!" She hugged 'Lizzie' just as tightly.

Rachel chuckled nervously. "I..I'm not 'Elizabeth', Nigel's Grandmother..."

"Yeah!" Nigel finally looked gratefully at Blake for clearing it up for Gran. "That's my girl, Gran. Lizzie's back in America!"

That did it.

"Why you!!" Nigel tried to kick Blake in the shins but missed. The older teen sauntered behind the embarrassed Rachel and snuggled her.

"Her name's Rachel McKenzie, Gran. Isn't she adorable?" He nuzzled her, instilling a volcano of rage to rise up inside Numbuh 1.

"She's not your girl, you idiot! Don't assume things!" Nigel roared angrily and pulled Rachel from Blake's grasp.

"Language, Nigel!" Gran warned. "Why haven't you brought Elizabeth over for me to meet, then? All I have are pictures of her."

Blake narrowed his eyes. "You have pictures of Nigel's girlfriend, Gran, and yet you compare her to this beauty of Venus?!" He hugged Rachel as if she was just as ashamed as he was. "The humanity!"

"Hey! There's nothing wrong with Lizzie!" Nigel and Belle said heatedly in unison.

"Oh, yeah?" A twinkle glinted off of Blake's eye. "The pudgy part or the manhandled attitude? She looks like a human bowling ball with Pippi Longstocking's pig tails."

"How dare you talk about someone like that?!" Belle actually succeeded in kicking Blake's shins, causing him to jump up and down holding his leg in pain.

"Idiot!" Nigel snarled. "Don't talk about my girlfriend like that, or you're going to be at the bitter end of my F.O.S.S.E.Y.!"

"Inside everyone!" Gran said cheerily to most of the arguing group. "You'll let the air out! I'm going to make tea."

Rachel blinked and turned to Belle for answers. Belle nodded and answered her by pointing at her own head. Rachel finally remembered being told that Gran was mental.

Settling down for tea, Rachel could see the strained aura surrounding Nigel and his family. She gingerly took a sip of her tea while Gran spoke.

"How long are you two staying here in England? Your mother never told me Nigel, dear," She pleasantly handed a tray of biscuits to Nigel, which he had no choice but to except.

"This is not a vacation, Gran. We'll stay here as long as the Warped Tour is. Then we follow after them to their next destination," Blake rolled his eyes and slapped his head at the blunt tone Nigel was giving.

Gran laughed. "Dearie, it sounds like your on one of those spy movies! Missions and all!"

"But Gran!" Nigel was mortified at how she thinks that they were playing some sort of game. "This is extremely important! We," He pointed at the embarrassed Belle and the dumbstruck Rachel. "are the Kids Next Door! It's our duty to stop evil adults from making kids' lives miserable!" Blake was mocking Nigel's speech by mimicking the words with his hand. Belle snickered silently.

"Oh dear!" Gran stood up. "You forgot to pick your mother up, Blake!" She looked at her watch. "And Belle, you need to go to the market quickly and pick up noodles. I'm making my special Pasta Prima Vera tonight."

"Crap!" Blake got up abruptly and swung his jacket over his shoulder, picking up Belle by the scruff of her neck and the keys. "I'll drop you off at the market, brat."

"Perv!" Belle retorted as she was swung out the door, Blake following close by.

"Nigel!" Nigel sighed as Gran turned to him. "Why don't you bring your luggage upstairs for now...not you, dear!" Rachel was about to follow him as well. "Why don't you help me make dinner?"

"Gran, you don't let guests help make dinner!" Nigel began to heave the biggest luggage. "It's not very honorable!"

"Nonsense!" Gran pushed Rachel into the kitchen sweetly. "Helping me cook my special meal is honorable enough!"

* * *

Rachel sighed as bits of her pleated hair went into her eyes and she brushed it back, chopping up lettuce.

"My dear," Gran looked over her shoulder expertly. "You've done well for your first time. I'm surprised someone as warm looking as you has never cooked before."

The Supreme Leader blushed a bit. "We have cooks back home. Mother says a lady must never dirty her hands unless it's absolutely necessary."

"Ah. I did sense a sort of aristocracy in you," Gran chopped the tomatoes without looking. "The way you held yourself up during tea. But I'd have never believed that the amazing things Nigel has told me about you by the way you act."

Rachel blinked and halted from her chopping. "Nigel has said things about me?"

"Oh yes, from trivial things like eating your broccoli when no one else would," Rachel gritted her teeth at the memory of going through all that broccoli to stop Father. When Gran said it, it didn't sound as great as the real truth was. "to amazing things like being in charge of thousands of kids all over the world for your secret club thing, yes indeed, Nigel speaks very fondly of you." Rachel's blush grew twice as big.

Gran smiled then sighed. "I'd just wish he'd talk about his girlfriend more! Whenever I bring it up on the phone, he'd just give me one word answers and I have to egg him on!" She pointed the wooden spoon at Rachel. "Do you know anything about Elizabeth, Rachel dear?"

Rachel looked away to think. What did she really know about Lizzie? Other than that disastrous first meeting, she knew very little about Nigel's girlfriend. She sighed. "I'm sorry, I've only met her once."

"And how was she like?" Gran moved in questioningly.

The young blond frowned. Should she tell her the truth? "Well...she's..." Any girl in her position would take advantage of this and spout every negative thing about her, but Rachel...she wasn't cruel. Nigel expressed that he cared about her. It wasn't her decision on who Nigel should love. "She was very...passionate...when I first met her. She cares about Nigel a lot. And...I've heard that she's a very sweet girl." She took a deep breath. For some reason, it was hard to defend Lizzie!

Gran was silent for a bit, looking at Rachel as if examining her like she wasn't telling the truth. Her question shocked Rachel. "My grandson, what is he to you?"

It was Rachel's turn to be silent. Did she give any clues that would make Gran think that she cared for Nigel as more than a friend?

But Gran let on more than what was beneath the surface and could probably sense her lying a mile away. She closed her eyes, trying to visualize the feelings that were jumbled up inside of her, like a bunch of jigsaw puzzles that were difficult to put together. She imagined every scrap of memory she had of Nigel and tried to evaluate them. It was very confusing. She took a deep breath at Nigel's image burned into her retinas.

"He's a dear friend of mine," She took another breath, imagining the memory of how he consoled her when she refused to remain Supreme Leader of the KND. "A great operative," She clenched the knife in her hands all too tightly as she remembered the resoluteness in his eyes as he battled the Citizombies to save the world. "He's a strong leader," She began to turn and return to her chopping, visualizing the way he commanded his Sector to attack the intruders at the KND Museum, right into believing that the attack on Moonbase was only a decoy. He also spoke his mind, defended his girlfriend so passionately when everyone else frowned upon her character. The last part clenched at her heart tightly. "And a person with an honest heart."

"There is no such thing as an honest heart, dear child." Rachel paused at Gran's words. "Everyone carries deep secrets in there under lock and key because they are afraid that their feelings will shake the sensible world they live in. Many secrets sometimes remain kept forever because the person their hearts resonate to is taken by another and the holder of that secret would rather hurt instead of cause friction and problems for the one they care about. But sometimes, if the secret remains hidden, both of them will suffer. Always give the here and now a chance."

Rachel didn't know what to say after those haunting words. "Don't worry, dear. After all, you're still young and the pasta won't make itself!" Gran returned to her cheery self and went on her way to inform Nigel to set the table.

Now alone in the kitchen, Rachel couldn't help but wonder why her brown eyes began to tear as she stared at the reflection of her knife.

* * *

"Nigel, honey! Come over here, I want to talk to you!" Nigel groaned from his resumed packing and proceeded down the hallway to his grandmother's room.

A few days have passed with unsuccessful attempts to infiltrate Warped Tour and it was weighing heavily on Numbuh 1's mind. Rachel had also been down in the dumps ever since she started cooking with Gran and he was curious to know what had transpired behind those closed doors.

He waved at Rachel from the other guest room and she looked up from packing. He was silently telling her that he would be returning to her room after being summoned by Gran. She nodded and pointed at her ear, making known that she is communicating with Moonbase and that he can take his time.

Nodding back, he went on his way. It was good that he had someone he can count on with KND missions, not that he would change his Sector V. They just weren't as dedicated to their jobs as he was.

He was quite sure that after he turned thirteen, he would be given the choice of joining the Teens Next Door. Rachel had hinted that only the most dedicated and the best were given the privilege. And who better than Nigel Uno to join this secret co-op group?

Quite possibly Chad and Cree would've had the chance if they had not gone mental and bust themselves out of decommissioning. That only proved that they weren't worthy nor dedicated to join. It was like, being sentenced to death and then being reprieved from it because you accepted your fate.

As he knocked on Gran's door, he wondered if Rachel would choose to join the TND when she pushed the age limit. She was almost a shoe-in: she is the best spy in the KND, the most patient and a highly-able Supreme Leader to boot. Probably the best in the 7th Era of KND in his opinion.

"Come in, Nigel." Nigel opened the door to find Gran rummaging through her things. "Oh, I know it's in here somewhere!"

Nigel hovered behind her questioningly. "Gran, do you need help with something?"

She looked at him. "Oh, no. I was supposed to give something to you and I can't find---oh!" Nigel raised his eyebrow as she picked up a small black box. "Here it is! I knew it was in here! Nigel, what do you think this is?" She raised the box for Nigel to clearly see.

He looked at it warily. "An old box, Gran."

"No, you smart aleck! What's in it?" Nigel sighed at Gran's guessing game.

"Gran, I have a lot of packing to do. The plane leaves in one hour."

She sighed in exasperation. "Oh, Nigel, you act like a forty year old! Act your age!"

"Fine," He snapped tiredly. He then set his voice to squeakily high as if on a candy buzz. "Oh, Gran, Gran! I don't know! Is it a bird, a plane, a BUNNY RABBIT??!!!"

The sarcasm in his false voice did not go unheard. Gran rolled her eyes. "It's like I'm talking to your beloved mother all over again..." She opened the box to reveal a small silver ring with what looked like vines and thorns snaking around it. "A good friend gave this to me to give to my grandchild with the most on his plate. And since you fit the bill..." She set it on his palm. "It's yours."

Nigel was exasperated without comparison. "But Gran! I'm a boy! Grandmothers give their boys skateboards or baseball cards! Rings are for girls!"

"It's not for you to wear!" Gran waved a disapproving finger in front of his face. "You save that for the girl you love in the future! Like an engagement ring! And you know this family's rule: the one you give an engagement ring to is the one you will ultimately marry! So, be careful who you choose! It's rude to take the ring back when you change your mind!"

"Yeah, yeah," Nigel tossed the ring up and down repeatedly. It was obvious that he had barely listened to her warning. "Engagement ring, give to girl, marry, okay."

Gran rolled her eyes and pushed him out of her room. "Just go and pack, you ungrateful little---"

"Yeah, love ya too, Grandma." He quipped sarcastically as he left to finish packing, stuffing the embarrassing ring in his pocket.

* * *

"Any word from Maurice?" Rachel spoke clearly into her headset as she packed her clothes.

"Nay, sir. There's no word from im'." Fanny's voice rang fuzzily because of the poor interception. "There was a suspicious report from da TND secta that claims dat Maurice was trying ta contact dem, bu' it was cut short."

Rachel grew worried. What kind of interference was strong enough to block Maurice's communication device from the TND's?

Making up her mind to wait at a later time, she issued her orders. "If there are any new news from Maurice or anyone that concerns our mission, contact me at once. We're heading to Barcelona by plane in an hour to follow Father."

"Aye, si---" the transmission went dead.

Believing that the signal faded, she moved the earpiece vainly to try to reestablish the connection. She jumped as she heard a male voice amongst the loud snowy sounds.

"Sect...any...read...urgent..." She recognized that voice anywhere...!

"Maurice?! This is Supreme Leader of the KND, Rachel McKenzie! Do you read me?!" She yelled clearly.

"Mc...Ken...zie...trouble...mecha...report..." Was all she could hear.

"Report! Tell me report!" She tried to dumb it down as best as she could so he could pick it up. It seemed to work as he said word for word back.

"All...Sector...Z...part...operative...of...since...era...1...jinx...13...plan...failed...to...recover...777...now...illumina...nonexist..." She went cold as the line went dead. Did something happen to Maurice?!

"Nigel!" She cried out in worry. Nigel burst through her door under a split second.

"What happened?!"

She relayed the broken message to him word for word. She was gifted in memory reading which had made her an excellent spy operative.

Nigel sat with her on the bed and stared at his clenched hands in thought. "He must've discovered some sort of plan involving Sector Z's apparent jinx of disappearing operatives and Father failing to apprehend Numbuh 777. He said 'mecha', maybe some sort of 'mechanism' is what's causing the immense interference."

"Since era 1..." Rachel closed her eyes in deep thinking. "Does the Book of KND talk about Sector Z being jinxed since the 1st Era?"

"I think so," Nigel responded quietly. "It doesn't go into much detail, just operatives disappearing in Z and were arguments of closing the Sector to avoid this, but they never got around to do it." He looked down at his shoes determinedly. "And in this era, everyone believes that it just was coincidence that Z operatives disappears."

Rachel looked up at the ceiling in mid thought. "'There are no coincidences in this world'," She quoted vaguely. Where did she remember that from again? She shook her head. Now was not the time to figure out these things. "He also said, 'Illumina' and 'Nonexist'. I think he meant 'Illuminati' and 'Nonexist' is 'Nonexist'. Illuminati means an intelligent secret society bent on the good of mankind..."

"And 'nonexistence' means, you don't exist." Nigel finished. For once in his life, he was afraid of this mission. Were they about to go in too deep? Way deeper than a pair of preteens were supposed to discover before their time?

As they stared at each other, the burden gripping their shoulders like vultures, all they could think about was that they were about to depend on each other more than unlike anything they've faced before.

Transmission Interrupted

* * *

Wiki Time!

(1) Hmm...my sister says this from time to time. Sounds 'teen-ish' don't cha think?

(2) I got into a Disturbed concert with this excuse. These guys were just too smart for little 362:)

(3) I know that the Chad/Rachel fans would get a kick out of this...lol. Yes, he dated her once upon a time in this story. Hmm...maybe I should make a sidefic to their relationship? As an update, I have decided to change my plans just a tad bit and give Chad the screen time he deserves! Why? He'll be very important later in my story! If you still don't get it, read his bio at Wikipedia. But, I'm afraid that I'll spoil part of the ending...! Oh, decisions, decisions.

(4) This is a cool nitpick I found. Mr. Warburton just confirmed that there are more Delightful People out there! So, this fic will actually become more canon than usual! So happy! Thanks, Mr. Warburton!

(5) For the culturally inept, no they don't mean 'Football'. They mean soccer, as it is called in Europe. Makes perfect sense, really: 'Foot'ball is soccer! And it should fit them just perfectly, since they're called the 'Rowdy Hooligans'. Many culturally orthodox citizens call soccer fanatics: hooligans, because they're just plain crazy during Football season!

Reviewing is like an Author's Garden: Dig it! Review please!!!


	5. Vermillion Pt1

A/N: Here it is. It's late because I was sick, got to run to millions of Walmarts for the Back to School special, and my sis went to the Hospital. Very hectic. :)

I have a new beta or beta(s), by the way. They're a close friends from school who are great in English, so a special thanks to TigersEyeRuby and KyoneaWater-Sprite. This is their first beta chapter!

* * *

Connection Re-established 

Chapter 5: She Is My Sin

He steadily made his way through the dark corridor, his steps as silent as a mouse. He'd rather not be reprimanded for being so loud. The report he had to give was dire and important, if anyone kept him from reaching his designated hour of transit, he would be punished.

Silently breathing hard at the two huge steel front doors, he knocked four times, rang the buzzer two times and knocked three more times.

After an ample amount of silence, the doors slowly opened, dimmed light enveloping his figure and blinding him for a moment.

"Ah, our little rogue operative of the secret organization for children," A gentle, but commanding male voice greeted him. He turned his head away and scoffed.

A shadowed hand waved him softly over to enter the room. He sighed and walked forward onto the lone spotlight in the middle of the room, watching the many shadowed figures seated powerfully in high backed seats.

The figure in the middle of the group remained silent, crossing his fingers and leaning forward thoughtfully. A woman voice echoed in the vacant room.

"We take it that you, rogue agent to the Next Door Organization for the Defense of Children Under Thirteen, have a report for this Illuminati?"

"I have," He answered shortly gripping and releasing his clenched palms. "Two extremely talented Kids Next Door agents, Numbuhs 1 and 362, have now made it a priority to find Numbuh 411 and locate the missing agent, 777. They have arrived at Barcelona, Spain believing that 777 might be en route to that location with a touring rock concert called the Warped Tour."

The one on the far left chuckled. "Ah, Numbuh 1! The one we've been molding for a while now.(1) And this Number 362...?"

"She's been revered as the best spy of the KND, and also the most celebrated Supreme Leader due to her fairness and great leadership. Possibly the best in this Era of KND." He answered dutifully.

A woman second to the right tapped her shadowed chin thoughtfully. "Hmm...she sounds qualified for 'greatness'. We should look into her database later."

"They are getting in the way of apprehending that infernal girl!" the Leader's left-hand man snarled maliciously. "And because of the decommission, she has no idea that all sides are clawing their way to get her!"

"And why..." Leader glanced at the fuming character from beneath his fingers. "Should this bother us? This agent, Numbuh 777, is no use to us. This is merely a slight setback to our initial plan. We should worry more about Father." The angry man remained silent while the others muttered silently to each other. "Whatever the coward is planning, and I doubt he's the only one behind this, for he has kidnapped a child. A grave crime towards our goal. If he is caught, he would be in much more trouble than failing to destroy the KND, it is illegal to kidnap. No doubt Numbuh 1 wouldn't hesitate in turning him in to authorities. This plan, may be bigger than what we'd expect from him. So," He looked at the agent resolutely. "You will be sent on a mission. It is imperative to remain like a ghost while doing so. Watch the two agents and make sure you continue to infiltrate Father's allegiance. If your cover is blown, contact us via communicator before incarceration. Failsafe word: Pandora Tomorrow."

He gave the illuminati's salute and nodded obediently. "I won't fail this mission, sir. I will never fail _you_."

* * *

"Are you sure you'll let me use it, Nigel?" 

"Of course, Rachel. I trust you with my life."

Rachel turned red, a small smile playing on her lips. She clutched the powerful Book of KND in her arms protectively.

As they waited for the bus to take them to the location of the Warped Tour, now stationed here in Barcelona, Nigel took it upon himself to take the Book of KND, (it was secretly kept in Numbuh 10's hands), with them in order to see if there are any clues to help them in their cause. Mainly the mystery revolving around Sector Z that kept popping up every time they had received a lead to accomplish their mission.

The blond sighed in excitement as she balanced it precariously on her lap, gently opening the cover to the KND's equivalent of the Bible. She saw Nigel's eyes laugh with mirth at the cautiousness.

"What's wrong, Numbuh 362? Afraid it would bite you?"

She responded by sticking her tongue at him and resumed the opening, a bit hastily to avoid another wise-crack from the workaholic operative.

Nigel leaned forward on the bench impatiently as Rachel began to immerse herself in it's pages. She rolled her eyes at the restlessness of her partner. _Men...no ounce of patience whatsoever._

A few minutes rolled by and Nigel had resorted to tapping his foot on the cement. Rachel flipped a page in the book, a slight tick of annoyance was growing at each tapping sound.

A bit later and a young man decided to sit next to Rachel to Nigel's utter annoyance. He tapped her on the shoulder and she looked at him.

"Yes?"

"¿Usted sabe cuándo es?" He was disappointed at the confusion written on her face.

"Oh, dear..." Rachel turned to Nigel hopefully. "Do you speak Spanish?"

Nigel made a face, partly because he was growing impatient and partly because he felt really stupid at not being able to help her in this sort of thing. "Do I look Spanish to you?"

"Don't get snappy with me, impatient beaver."

Nigel looked away, annoyed and ashamed at the wise tone that he gave her.

She turned back to the young man and shook her head sweetly. "No hablo español. English?"

The man cocked his head thoughtfully at the language barrier, but he may have understood as he nodded quickly. "Sorry...! You speakie Eenglish?"

"Ah! Si, si!" She answered back happily in broken Spanish. "You?"

"Little bit," He brought his thumb and index finger together, indicating the 'small' gesture. "You know wha time...?" He pointed at his wrist, indicating an invisible watch.

Rachel nodded back fervently and pulled her wrist out to pull up her sleeve to reveal a digital watch. Not knowing how to repeat the time in Spanish, she showed it to him.

He nodded back gratefully after reading it. "Gracias! You are cute. Want lunch with me? Can bring friend." He pointed at the angry Numbuh 1, as if thinking that he's mad because he wasn't invited.

She waved her hands apologetically. "Sorry. Business. Um..." She pointed at Nigel with a deep hope that he'd understand. "Angry guy."

Realization hit the teen like a ton of bricks. He made a sound of understanding. "Understand. Too bad." He went on his way but spoke to Nigel before he left. "Usted tiene una novia linda."

"What the---?" Nigel stopped a young girl walking by. "If that idiot just called me names...!"

Rachel watched peculiarly at Nigel as he kneeled in front of the little girl. "Do you speak English?"

"Yes. What do you want?"

"What the heck does 'usted tiene una novia linda' mean?" He demanded as if it was the girl who had insulted him. "Is it bad?"

The girl tilted her head to the side. "I did not know that having a pretty girlfriend was a bad thing!"

Rachel laughed at the miscommunication while Nigel stood there, jaw dropped as far as it could go as the little girl skipped on her way.

She resumed reading. At least Nigel had something to replay over and over in his head while waiting for the bus...

* * *

The long bus ride was long and tedious. Nigel sat still throughout the ride, muttering about stupid Spanish teens or something of the sort. 

Rachel, who was busy reading the pages of the Book of KND, became sidetracked when a young adult took a child's Game Boy away, making him cry.

The adult laughed and was about to make her way out the door when Rachel shot her foot in front of her, causing the adult to fall flat on her face. The Supreme Leader caught the Game Boy easily and gave it back to the child, eyes following the book the whole time.

"Gracias!!" The child piped happily to her and resumed gaming. Rachel didn't acknowledge the child but smiled nonetheless.

"Stupid adults," Nigel glared back at the simpering adult, who gained composure and ran out the door at the next stop. "Even in Barcelona, there are evil adults lurking around."

Rachel smirked. "I think that's why we've stationed Sector S here, Nigel-honey." For being such a fine operative, he sure loses out on the obvious. "Even _you _can't stop every evil deed adults do to kids back in your sector. We should make it our duty to help this Sector out while we're here. I'm sure you'd expect the same hospitality if they visited Virginia."

Nigel looked away, blushing furiously. "There you go with the pet names again..."

The blond looked from her book in surprise. She didn't even realize she was calling him names. "Sorry," She smiled sheepishly. "Bad habit. I'll stop if you want."

Numbuh 1 asked the almighty God why that option was never available with Lizzie. The 'Nigie' pet name annoyed him to high heck. "It's alright if you can't help it. Just letting you know."

"Okay, then." She flipped a few pages and found what she was looking for. "Nigel. Here it is. The records of Sector Z."

Nigel leaned in to look at what she was pointing at. "'Reports Regarding Sector Z'."

(Report 1) _Many strange happenings were gathered around the legendary Sector Z. Sector Z was reserved of veteran operatives stationed only on Moonbase and were needed in dire trouble back on Earth. Only the best were sent to this Sector. Disappearances of Sector Z shocked the Organization._

(Report 2) _Interviewing current Sector Z members of the 2__nd__ Era revealed mysterious participation inside the Sector. They said, "For the good of everyone." This plagued KND investigators for some time, in the end, the ones who were interviewed disappeared the following week. Rumors speak of conspiracy, but was regarded as a Dishonorable Pre-Decommission by reason of preteen influence._

(Report 3) _3__rd__ Era KND reports of disappearances of the 4__th__, 5__th__, and 6__th__ Sector Z's and has become contained within the knowledge of the KND Archive Directors and the higher ups under the Supreme Leader, Numbuh 863. Leakage of conspiracy among Global Command was resorted at a bare minimum. Until the reason of these disappearances are found, the Sector Z Jinx must be kept a secret._

(Report 4) _Disappearances of the Sector Z operatives in the 4__th__ Era have been given cold, but nevertheless, leads regarding this mystery. The operatives in this Sector were chosen for some sort of experimentation for the "Good of Everyone". No leads to what this experimentation is, nor proof as to if the participation is mandatory or optional. So far, not one operative from Z has ever returned._

(Report 5) _An interviewer from 5__th__ KND processed the current Sector Z before timely disappearance. It is discovered that Sector Z is 'destined' to be taken in. Being 'taken in' has yet to be speculated. Furthermore, Sector Z member, Numbuh 433, has requested an immediate transfer to another Sector for unknown reasons, but had disappeared before the request could be approved by the KND Commissioner of Sectors and Divisions._

(Report 6) _6__th__ KND's current Supreme Leader, Numbuh 907, has been issued the Bill of Sector Z from concerned KND members about shutting down Sector Z before disappearances could occur. But due to the battle against Grandfather, we needed the many stations we could get. The bill was denied and postponed until a later date, when the crisis has ended._

(Report 7) _After the destruction of Grandfather, investigations concerning Sector Z has been reinstated._ _7__th__ Era of KND has confirmed of former Sector Z members from the 14__th__ Z has made an appearance. Though, for reasons of being Delightfulized. Only one known member has escaped from total disappearance as she was part of the 13__th__ Z. The now decommissioned operative: Numbuh 777. Archives reveal her real name to be: .e.n. ..l.st._

"Ugh!!!" Nigel slapped his head in extreme disappointment. "Some idiot spilled ice cream on her name!"

This did not bother Rachel at the moment. She sat back, staring at the flickering light of the bus. "This must be some heck of a secret, if every KND operative who knew of this mystery was unable to solve it to this day."

Numbuh 1 raised his fist determinedly. "This must be some sort of adult conspiracy. How can you vanish fourteen Sector Z's, save the Delightfuls and 777, and not anyone was able to notice?!"

The blond closed the book in defeat and tapped her finger against the book. "Maybe if we still had the Recommissioning Device, we could recommission the Delightful Children and ask them. They must have been kidnapped at least once before they met their fate."

These were one of the most disappointing moments Nigel had for his father. The former Numbuh Zero had destroyed the device because he didn't want to be recommissioned again. But now, there was no way to ask the former 14th Sector Z and he bet his hidden Rainbow Monkey that they probably didn't remember it either.

As they both pondered their next move, Rachel's heart dropped at the sight of a young couple a little ways down the aisle. They were snuggled into each other and she distinctly noticed that they had matching rings on their ring fingers.

"Nigel?" Nigel looked up from his deep thinking.

"What is it?"

He frowned in confusion at her intense blush as she stared down into her hands.

"You and Lizzie...do you think that you two might be with each other for the rest of your lives?" She looked away in immense embarrassment at having to ask such a personal question.

Nigel blushed as well and looked up sheepishly. "Well...um...uh..." He never thought of that before. It was always the here and now that mattered to him. He wasn't the type to dwell on the future too much.

Being with Lizzie forever? He cared about her a lot, even beyond what he felt for any other girl. She was very overzealous with their relationship, but she cared about him in her own special way. And he had tolerated many mistakes she had made in the past. Heck, he was willing to give up an important mission if she wanted him to. He almost did once. (2)

He cleared his throat. "That's uh...very personal, Rachel. Why do you ask?"

_Nice save._ She thought to herself bitterly. But it takes two to tango. "You ran off because she wanted to give you relationship rings, remember? It sounded like you are doubtful of being with her."

_Dang it! _Nigel had to admit, she was good at getting her answers in the right here and now. "I don't know, really. Everything was fine until she had to get a bunch of silver bands to prove our commitment to the rest of the world! It was going so fast, like no turning back, you know? I mean, I'm only twelve for criss sakes! I don't want that kind of pressure on me. It's not fair to me, or her."

"I hate rings too," She admitted quietly.

Nigel stared at her tiredly. "Why?"

"Because, everyone's got one!" Rachel exclaimed. "Couples patrolling the Moonbase as if they're better than everyone else, operatives not doing their jobs only wondering who's got who's ring! I'm sick of it!"

Nigel noticed Rachel's hands clenching painfully on her lap. "They're nothing but stupid false promises to make you feel like you're important and then say, 'Oops, sorry. I don't like you anymore' and then pull the rug from right under you and go on their way. Is that how these rings work? Well, I think that's sick!"

Nigel looked on in shock. He'd never seen the calm and collected Rachel dish out such spiteful words before in his entire life of knowing her.

He awkwardly put his hand on her shoulder that was trembling in anger when it dawned on him of her outburst. "Did someone break your heart...?" But, why would anyone hurt such a strong and beautiful person like Rachel?

She picked up her head that was dropped down as far as it could go and she stared straight ahead coldly. She could see a handsome blond haired operative burned into her retinas, giving her a bright smile and a gentle hand.

"_I don't mind being yours, Rachel McKenzie." He once said to her when she embarrassingly gave him a 'Be Mine' Valentine card._

_When he walked past her, he gave her a slight brush of hand to hand causing her to blush brightly as he turned a corner._

_He became Supreme Leader and nominated her to take his place after reigning, becoming his second-in-command so they can spend more time with each other._

_Giving her her first ring, symbolizing a romantic relationship. "I'll stay with you forever, Rachel." He held her hand ever so gently._

_They were lies, all lies._ Rachel began to feel numb at the memories. Nigel's soothing pats on her back made her feel humiliated.

"_Did I do something wrong?" She begged him desperately. "Please tell me! I'll fix whatever it is that's bothering you!"_

"_Don't you see, Rachel? We're too young. I'll be decommissioned soon and then where will we be if I don't remember you anymore?" He took the ring off his finger and gave it to her. A final gesture. "I need to be free from you."_

_'Like I was just some silly burden on his shoulders twenty-four/seven. He was free, but he trapped me in the shards in the broken glass of our love. It was proof, that no one wanted to stay with me forever.'_

She shrugged off Nigel's comfort and turned away from him, instead to stare at the window until sleep claimed her. The conversation wasn't going as planned. It dredged up too many painful memories.

The bus ride gave way to night and Rachel had fallen asleep, Nigel's coat hung snuggly around her.

Numbuh 1 stared at her for quite some time, rage boiling inside him, molding the impatient sand in his gut into molten glass. He had vaguely overheard Rachel mumble his name in her sleep and had a follow up of intense shuddering coming from her. Numbuh 274, a traitor, had broken Rachel's heart and then stepped on them ruthlessly with his big foot. It angered him, it consumed him and the only way to vent it all out was to locate the Teen Ninjas and beat Chad senseless until the monster couldn't breathe.

But now he had learned the truth. Why she wondered about him chickening out on Lizzie's rings or why she had such an intense hatred for those little bands of steel. She was promised eternity, and was shot down like she was a joke meant to be played. It had left her bitter and doubtful of love, the only comfort was busying herself in KND work to push the pain away.

A great rush of sadness flooded his senses as she stirred in her sleep, awaking from the rumble of the bus heading into a tunnel. "Rachel, are you okay?"

She rubbed her eyes and looked around momentarily to confirm her location. She then gripped the coat around her instinctively. "I'm sorry, Nigel. I didn't mean to burden you with my personal life."

He waved the apology away. "It doesn't matter. It looked like you needed to tell someone. I just wish that it wasn't such a painful topic. And anyways," He gripped her shoulder to comfort her. "He never deserved you, Rachel. You know how he is: a big, traitorous jerk who turned his back on something wonderful. He never should have made a promise that he wouldn't have been able to keep, okay? You are an amazing person. You are going to make someone very happy someday, I just know it."

But the thought of a beautiful, adult Rachel happily locked in arms with a shadowed stranger stirred a painful twist in his throat. What the heck was wrong with him?

She could only merely nod at the gospel he was saying and relaxed visibly. "Maybe someday. You're a great person, Nigel Uno. Lizzie's a very lucky girl. She'll never have to worry about your promises." The realization was hitting her in the face. Nigel _was _taken and he'd never turn his back on his girlfriend on a whim. His commitment was inspiring. Even if she liked Nigel, he'd never leave Lizzie for her. It's unethical. It's wrong. The thought of being referred to as the 'other woman'...!

"And neither should you." Rachel blinked at Nigel's statement, returning to reality to stare at Nigel's serious face.

He remembered the ring Gran gave him and withdrew it from his pocket, bestowing it to the very shocked blond. "I promise to be a good friend to you always, Rachel. Whenever you need me, all you have to do is call." He put the ring into her shaking hand and huffed proudly.

_Ha! Take that, Gran! No engagement ring if it's now a friendship ring!_

Rachel looked at it in awe. "T-thank you, Nigel. This means everything to me."

They shook violently in their seats as the bus halted, signaling another stop.

Realizing that this was their stop, Nigel helped Rachel up and picked up the luggage. "Let's get going, now. We've got a job to do!"

During the transition, Rachel tried to put the ring on her index finger, but it stopped short. Panicking at the thought of not being able to wear the special treasure that Nigel gave her, she tried the middle finger. It may symbolize being single, which was half true, but it would have to do. Realizing that it too stopped short, she examined the ring and then her hand.

_Maybe I gained weight...? _She began to desperately put it on her pinky finger but no dice. It would undoubtedly fall off if she shook her hand. Her thumb obviously not a capable contender, she glanced at the busy Nigel. "Um...Nigel...?"

"Yes, just a minute. I've got to get the carry-on bag up here." He was too busy to notice her trouble with the ring.

She winced in worry. The only finger left to try on was...

Staring at her ring finger quietly, she realized that as she tried on the ring, it had fitted perfectly like a glove. If Nigel saw the ring there, he might get the wrong idea and maybe accuse her of trying to be a scarlet woman! (3)

Panicking, she picked up the luggage to hide her hands as she trembled with Nigel out of the bus.

No matter, when they return from the mission, she could get it resized when she came home! She only hoped that no one would notice until then...

* * *

Even when they had arrived onto the pavement leading to Barcelona's Warped Tour at an early pace, it was heavily crowded. 

Nigel and Rachel hurriedly pushed past many of them, which had illicit snarls and curse words from the disgruntled crowd in Spanish. But they couldn't have cared less. They had let Father slip through their fingers the first time and they weren't letting it happen again!

Carefully dodging past security, they had decided on moving to the side entrance with less people involved. After many close calls, they had finally made it inside.

Rachel looked in awe at the huge stage overlooking various hand rails which were used to keep the crowd separate enough to keep from a full blown mosh fight, but close enough to dance together regardless. Very few privileged people walked excitedly around, chattering in Spanish that went on deaf ears.

If she wasn't on such an important mission, she might have had thoughts of sticking around to listen to the bands.

That thought surprised her. She'd never had thought of going wild without a care and jam with the other teenagers to rock music. Lately, these feelings of being independent had been weighing in her head for a while. At one point, she even directly disobeyed her parent's decision of curfew and got grounded with a spanking on top and she didn't even care anymore.

Maybe because she was becoming even more like a teenager each day? She was told that teenagers rebel all the time, even more so than kids.

And the thought of rebellion excited her. Beating the system, sticking it to the man, and all the rebellious catchphrases one of her teenage cousins once repeated to her when she asked why she had talked back to her mother during a family reunion.

She looked at Nigel from the other side of the dais where he was keeping a close eye on the participants who were steadily moving into the dome. She wondered if Nigel ever occasionally thought of teenage feelings. He was twelve years old also. Even if girls mature faster than boys, didn't he feel the need to sneak out of the house once in a while and see the world? Or was he so devoted to the KND and being a kid that he ignored the fact that he was growing up?

"Rachel." She snapped out of her thoughts and was face to face with a headset. "We need to split up since this dome is so big."

Nodding at once, she took the headset and put it on, unconsciously watching him gracefully watch over his shoulder. The sight of him taking the lead so powerfully made her stomach flip-flop in strange ways. For a boy who tried so desperately to remain a kid, he acted like a confident guy, like Tom Cruise in the Mission Impossible movies.

He stared at her with those serious storm gray eyes and she gulped inwardly. "Since you have the DNA Tracker, you'll have to search for Numbuh 777 around here. I'll take care of Father when I see him and demand where Numbuh 411 is. If you find either 777 or 411, relay it to me via headset or I'll contact you. Understood the plan?"

Rachel snorted. "Duh. I'm not a newbie, Numbuh 1. You're looking at the best spy operative KND has to offer. All you need to worry about is watching your back."

He smirked. "That's what I want to hear, Numbuh 362." He ran off the other direction. "Don't fail on me!"

"That's what I was about to tell you!" Rachel retorted back. "Overconfident little..." She dropped the sentence and went the opposite direction of Nigel towards the backstage. Numbuh 777 had to be either a band member, roadie, security guard, engineer, or an authority figure. The possibilities were endless.

After a while, the Warped Tour had begun and she had checked the opening band before they went on stage, but to no avail. None of them were the elusive Numbuh 777.

Finding that all the bands were clear, she worked on finding her through the tech-engineers.

She gasped in surprise as the beeping resonated from the Tracker. Was 777 in tech? She ran to find out, but halted from someone screaming in terror. Pretty soon everyone around her was pushing their way against her, like a fire had started.

Ignoring the Tracker, she followed the herd out of backstage where one of the rock bands on stage were circling around what was possibly the lead singer. He was clutching at his throat, his mouth moving at a rapid pace, but no sound came from it.

Screaming ensued in the audience and Rachel traced her eyes up to what everyone was looking at.

It was a middle aged adult man dressed in what looked like a conductor's tuxedo, tail and all with music symbols all over it. He was hovering on what looked like a tuba that was issuing jet fuel from the horn, while he was swinging his composing stick in a swaying motion.

"Stupid concert, stupid music!!!" He bellowed against the roaring crowd. "Your 'rock' music is an insult to the delightful tunes of a violin. Classical music shall forever be the bestest of them all!!!"

When Nigel had not answered back through the headset, she went into action and threw the singer's microphone at the offending adult, causing him to lose balance for a bit on his flying tuba.

He looked vainly for the one responsible for that attack. "Who dares attack me?! The greatest composer that had ever lived?!"

"I did!" She bellowed at him. He turned to face her. "Who the heck are you, you hovering classical embarrassment?!"

"I am Maestro Silencio, you snot-nosed little punk!" He pointed his wand threateningly at her. "And now I'll get rid of your stupid squeaky voice for good!"

"You should listen to your wheezy tune before you offend mine, you old geezer!" She taunted back.

As he aimed his wand, a strange beam moved fast for her to move out of the way and she covered her head at an instinctive attempt to protect herself.

_Nigel! _She thought loudly as she saw an explosion of bright light through her eyelids. After it had ended, she opened them again as she felt a force pull her over to the side.

"Are you alright?!" An unfamiliar voice said close to her right ear. She turned and stared at a young woman who was dressed in a bright yellow Warped Tour security uniform.

"Who are you?" Rachel asked as she was helped up.

"Head of Security here in the Warped Tour, kid. Now, you better get off the stage and let us deal with this psycho!" She commanded in a definite tone as she radioed the remaining security. "We've got some crazy old guy interfering with the front stage, bring the Spanish police," She then sighed as Silencio proceeded to hovering directly over the audience's heads and chasing after the girls with a hysterical laugh. "And bring the guys in the white uniforms. I think they're missing someone over at the asylum. Over."

Rachel rose up only to find the Tracker smashed next to her, probably from the haste shove from being blasted. "Ah man. Now how am I going to find 777?!" Glancing over to see the Head of Security glaring at her to move it, she hightailed it in search of Nigel.

If this evil adult had just appeared, that means Father must have sent him to cause further chaos because he knew they were around.

* * *

"Not so fast, Father!" Nigel pointed his F.O.S.S.E.Y., at the shadowed figure sitting quite comfortably on his plush chair overlooking the entire concert. 

"Ah, my most hated nephew," Father raised a can of soda in a mock toast to the preteen. "Does my stupid brother know that you're jumping countries just to go to a concert made especially for adults?" He dropped down quickly as Nigel's warning shot nearly got him in the head, the egg splattering at the door behind him.

"I don't think he'd be too pleased at hearing that you've kidnapped children either," Nigel snarled defiantly. "Where are you holding Numbuh 411? And trust me, I won't miss again." Father looked apprehensive at the chicken clucking back at him defiantly as well from his nephew's 2x4 gun.

Father rubbed his chin evilly. "Hmm...Numbuh 411? Never heard of 'em."

"Don't lie to me! You've gone too far this time! I won't hesitate to call the police and let them take care of you themselves. Tell me where she is!" Nigel growled threateningly. The chicken snapped it's beak at Father as well.

This made Father angry as he stood up, dark fire shooting up menacingly. "I didn't take the stupid kid, you little ingrate! Why would I care about a little nobody, when that 777 girl is running amok and out of my reach?!"

Nigel set the weapon down a bit. "Then, tell me why are you after Numbuh 777?! Because she was a former Sector Z member?!"

"That's part of it," He snapped his fingers and Nigel jumped back in surprise as the Teen Ninjas landed to Father's aid. "What's wrong with locating the poor girl and reuniting with dear Numbuh 666 and her sadly fated team?" He whined mockingly. "I thought a little 'reunion', might be in order. We can't continue with our plans if the Guest of Honor doesn't make an appearance..!"

"What plans?!" Nigel exclaimed angrily as the Teen Ninjas, adorned in their BRAs, moved steadily closer, forcing him back into the railing. "What the heck are you planning, Father!"

"Back off, Nigel Uno," Nigel recognize the sultry voice belonging to Chad. "Leave like the little baby that you are and take your whiny commander with you."

That did it. Remembering of how Chad had broken Rachel's heart got him angry and now him calling her 'whiny' was the icing on the cake. He growled angrily and tackled him headlong, gripping and punching anything his fist can get in contact of.

Nigel's animal-like nature scared Cree and Maurice so much that they stood frozen in shock as the two boys battled it out. Father moved out of character at the scene and whistled in awe. "Jeez, pulled a nerve there, didn't cha' Chad?"

"Get...off..me!!!" Chad hissed as he kicked Nigel in the gut causing him to double up in pain. He got up and righted himself in an infuriating fashion. "What the hell is wrong with you?!"

"I'm..not...the one..." Nigel clutched his stomach and wheezed painfully, the wind knocked out of him. "You hurt her...I won't ever forgive you..."

Chad narrowed his eyes. "McKenzie deserved it. She should have known the difference between true love and limited affection. When I discovered what a weak thing she became when I broke up with her, I knew she wasn't even worth a glance."

Maurice stiffed intensely, but he was in armor so no one noticed. He didn't like what he was hearing about his commander, but he had to keep appearances up. Cree stepped forward determinedly.

"That's enough you two! I don't wanna hear you guys bellyaching over some girl. After we take care of this KNDork, we've got to find 777! You hear me?!"

But her warning went unheard as a familiar blond haired commander came whizzing in from up above and landed right on Chad's head, causing him to fall forward.

Rachel stood up powerfully over the astonished Teen Ninja. "Whiny, am I? Who's on top now, traitor?"

"That's my girl!" Nigel grinned as his renewed strength at seeing her back to her usual self kicked in and they stood side by side with each other.

The remaining two Ninjas posed threateningly in front of them and Father squinted his eyes at a closer look at Rachel. "You!!" He scrambled against his seat in terror. "The one who ate all that broccoli!!!!" He sucked his thumb, reverting into a childlike state. "So. Much. Broccoli. Broccoli..."

The blond snorted. "What about Numbuh 411, Nigel?"

Nigel clenched his fists. "Father never kidnapped her. He only wanted to find and kidnap Numbuh 777. Did you find her?"

Rachel admitted to him in frustration. "The tracker broke when Maestro Silencio attacked me. I couldn't locate her."

"This is not good," Nigel concluded gravely.

"You bet it's not. Because I'm gonna whoop the both of you!" Chad got to his feet and stared menacingly at Rachel. "Why don't you beg me to go easy on you, _my little Rachel_...?" His taunts only angered her more.

"Only if you beg me to take off the soup bomb I planted on the back of your head, _Chad-hon_...!" She sweetly proclaimed, venom laced in her words.

"Wha?!" Chad tried vainly to find the bomb as Rachel grabbed Nigel and jumped off the veranda and straight into the crowd.

The veranda was alight with screams as it exploded, mucky green soup drenching the quartet from up above.

"Gross!!! It's in my hair!!" Cree shrieked, deep in tears.

Maurice swiped a bit and put it in his mouth. He sputtered. "It. Can't. Be."

"CREAM OF BROCCOLI!!!!" Father screamed in terror and began to sob uncontrollably, trying pathetically to get it off of him.

Rachel chuckled as Chad's angry roar echoed among the screaming crowd as they crowd-surfed back onto the stage.

* * *

As Nigel and Rachel landed back onto stage, they watched as the head of security and her men tried to catch the adult, who was laughing uncontrollably as he whizzed back and forth. 

"The senile old schmuck!" The head huffed, out of breath. "I don't know how he took Jacobi's voice, but he's not getting away with it while I'm in charge!"

"Let us help!" Rachel ran towards her. "Ms...?"

"Just Rei. Didn't I tell you to get off of stage? This isn't a place for children!" She pushed the two preteen's backs along. "Now go!"

Nigel dragged his heels forcing Rei to halt. "At least use this!" He tossed his F.O.S.S.E.Y at the adult who barely caught it. "It's harmless, and it'll knock the creep off that tuba!"

She raised her eyebrow at the chicken attached to it. "What the hell...? Why is there a chicken on a slingshot?"

"Just use it!" Rachel exclaimed as they all dived to the ground when Silencio whizzed past them, cackling gleefully.

Rei grudgingly got up and gave in. "As long as it'll save the concert!" The two KND members watched in awe as Rei expertly aimed at the moving villain and emptied three eggs from the weapon, the first two knocking the villain off-guard and the last clogging up the tuba's exhaust pipe causing him to spin out of control and falling on stage.

The crowd cheered as the head of security took the conducting stick and snapped it in half, the strange energy inside it separated and returned to those who's voice was taken. The last settling back inside the lead singer of Papa Roach.

"Now get this old geezer out of my concert!" She said out loud on the mic, her thumb pointing out the back door. Her underlings obliged and dragged the unconscious villain off stage. She turned back to the audience. "Enough of this bellyaching and get rocking!" The crowd roared in approval as she handed the mic back to Jacobi and walked backstage, pulling the two dumbstruck kids with her.

She set them aside and gave Nigel the gun back. "I thank you guys for helping me out."

Rachel smiled and Nigel looked away embarrassed.

"How did you manage to aim so well?" Rei laughed at the question.

"Was in JROTC in my high school years. Took Rifle Club in my second year." Rei nodded professionally. "You're pretty badass kids. Nice weapon too. You can stay for the concert as long as you want. My treat." She clapped them both on the heads and walked off, returning to her job of directing the security.

Nigel sighed dejectedly. "We haven't even found 777 or 411. I'm starting to think this mission's really jinxed."

"Don't say that, Nigel. So what did you get from Father?" As Nigel informed her about some sort of reunion with 777, she rubbed her head in confusion.

"Guest of Honor? Does that mean that Father has the 13th Sector Z with him?"

Nigel paced thoughtfully at Rachel's questions. "Maybe he has some connections with the mystery of disappearing Sector Z operatives."

"Maybe he's trying to locate 777 because she escaped. He might want to cover up his tracks to uphold the mystery, but why?" Rachel covered her ears as the concert subdued her from thinking. The real mystery was what happened to the missing operatives. What was so secretive that they'd be willing to kidnap every member of every era of Sector Z? Was there a conspiracy in the making?

"Rachel!" Rachel snapped from her thought inducing and stared at what Nigel was pointing at.

It was Father's limo, and it was driving away. Did it mean that they've given up searching for 777?

The tour guide stated that Barcelona was the last tour stop. Did 777 leave the premises after seeing the huge mess that went on today?

"Let's return back to the States, then." Nigel concluded. "Father's leaving. That means there's nothing we can do here. After that, we need to get back on Moonbase and look at the KND archives. Maybe they've found 411."

Rachel had hoped so. She was very worried about Amy. She was always such a skittish girl, which was unfitting for a KND member but she had such a powerful memory and passion for information that she was given an exception. Praying to every god that she was safe, she followed Nigel to inform Rei that they were leaving.

As she gave them a final goodbye and a grateful escort to the airport, Rachel couldn't help but notice that Rei's ring looked remarkably like her's: the one Nigel so gently gave to her recently.

End Transmission

* * *

Wiki Notes! 

(1) This is canon, by the way. This Illuminati is canon to Codename: KND. Don't believe me, watch Operation WHITE-HOUSE. Watch the end of it! Then you'd understand why they refer to Nigel as the one they're 'molding'.

(2) This is also canon, from Operation RECESS. Even though it was pretty much Nigel's fault for standing Lizzie up on their date, he made up for it by agreeing to leave with her if she wanted to. Instead of letting him do his job like a responsible girlfriend, she does the opposite. Which she wants Nigel to leave the mission for their date. This irked me to some degree as it's clear that Lizzie is a selfish ingrate, but that's just my opinion.

(3) Scarlet woman is...hmm...I don't precisely know exactly, I only took it from a Harry Potter book. I think it's a devious woman who goes after men shamelessly and then juggles them all at one time...I guess in Rachel's sense, she'd be like a girl who goes after her man despite being with someone else and that's pretty shameful!

* * *

**Sneak Peek!!!**

Chapter 6: Mr. Brightside

"Welcome back, Numbuh 1! Supreme Leader!" Nigel and Rachel couldn't help but smile at the warm welcome. What would they do if they didn't have friends like that?

She was always a quivering child, so enticing information from her was hard enough. "I...saw...something, w-well, I heard it...but...it was terrible! What they're planning...I couldn't believe it."

"You're the one!" Her red polished fake nails were pushing against her throat painfully. She began to choke. "You want to take my Nigel away!"

Nigel looked up, professionalism taking control. "The Nightamatons have been released by Father! You know what that means!"

"She was right in front of us all along..." Rachel whispered dejectedly. "Now what...?"

The shadowed figure of the Illuminati looked up at the glass ravenously. "That was the plan all along. Uno and McKenzie will deliver 777 to us personally." He turned his head towards the other shadowed beings to his left. They were tittering around impatiently. "Don't you worry. You'll all be reunited again. A happy family indeed."

"Dat ring, Lass," Rachel covered her hand instinctively. "E's dere something peculiar aboot eet dat ye won't share with yer best friend?"

"We've found her! Numbuh 777! I...can't believe who it is...!"

* * *

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	6. Ohio Is For Lovers

A/N: Naturally, I've just discovered that the first week of school is a right kick in the ass. Like, exactly dead-on your butthole and the force is times 100. So yeah, that's a huge part of the huge delay.

Want to see my new schedule for me, a senior of '08?

Mythology

American Literature H (I was so high off the scale of English classes, they didn't know where to put me anymore!)

U.S. Government

Japanese IV H

Student Aide (To like the coolest teacher eva!)

Biology II H/AP

So, yeah. And then there were like, 1000 new freshmen at the school this year, I can't move down the hallways! (cries)

SPECIAL NOTE: Like dude, someone reviewing this story figured out 777's identity! I read it and I was like, dammit! I thought I kept it very ambiguous! Somebody's been a real sleuth on my tail and I don't know whether to feel flattered or bewildered! XD

Pssh, like that matters now, considering her identity will be revealed in this chapter. Enjoy!

I'd also like to thank Ruby for betaing this fic. I know how hectic school is, I'm sorry!

* * *

Connection Reestablished

Chapter 6: Ohio Is For Lovers

The plane ride back to the states was filled with disappointment and utter boredom for Rachel. It was disappointing because they had failed once again in discovering Numbuh 777's identity and the location of 411.

It was utter boredom watching Nigel nervously fidget around for the last hour and a half, probably thinking up ways to calm his possessive girlfriend once they returned home. She had to admit that it was pretty interesting watching the fearless leader of Sector V squirm, but it lost its humor when his trembling hands ripped open a complementary peanut bag and peanuts scattered all over her and the rest of the aisle. (1)

"Nigel, you need to chill. It'll look more suspicious if she sees you acting nervous once you see her again," She reasoned wisely, her tone a bit annoyed.

This seemed to make him visibly relax and she began to settle down for a good, long nap when her ear piece whizzed and beeped in her ear causing her to groan tiredly.

Nigel, whose head was resting defeatedly against the window, glanced at her. "Moonbase?"

She made a disgruntled sound of agreement and flipped the switch. "This is 362. Do you copy...?"

"Aye, sir. This is 86 reporting for a breakin' news, lass," Fanny's serious tone roused her from her bleak attitude.

"What happened?"

"Numbuh 411 has been found by Secta' V a few hours ago," Rachel relayed this to an eye-cocking Nigel. "She's a little shakin' up, sir. She hasn't been able ta tell us wha' happened to her."

Rachel was silent, taking in the situation. Whatever happened to Amy must have been traumatic on her if she won't speak of the ones who had kidnapped her. She was going to have to relinquish finding 777 to coax the information from Amy first on Moonbase.

"Very well. Keep her contained at Moonbase until Numbuh 1 and I return. In the meantime, do your best to get her to talk, but don't force it out of her."

"Aye, sir!" The line went dead, expectedly.

The ride was uneventful for the rest of the trip home.

* * *

"Welcome back, Numbuh 1! Supreme Leader!" Nigel and Rachel couldn't help but smile at the warm welcome. What would they do if they didn't have friends like that?

Nigel had suggested (probably out of fear of returning back to Virginia with Lizzie so close by) to return to Moonbase first so Amy could give the information and get some rest back home.

But they had no idea that they were being greeted so fondly as soon as they stepped foot inside the bio-dome leading to headquarters.

It wasn't until they met silly string and banners did Rachel believe that something was up and turned suspiciously to her second-in-command, who was giving her a nervous grin.

"P-pleasant trip, sir?" Fanny chuckled nervously to the disbelieving commander.

Rachel folded her arms and slanted sideways, her posture serious. "What happened while I was gone, Fanny?"

It wasn't a question. It was a demand.

Fanny gulped. "A-aye sir...jus' wit' ye gone an' all, things were jus' a little hectic, aye?"

The blond narrowed her eyes. "If you had set some sort of party for us for no apparent reason, something is up. And I want to know. Now."

The Irish redhead cracked like an egg, spewing the problem like a tsunami. "Eet wasn't me fault! Eet was da stoopid boy guards' fault, tha' it is!!"

Rachel blinked. "What?"

"Da guards who guard da KND Archives! Eet was attacked a few days ago by a rogue KND operative! I bet it was dat stoopid Cree Lincoln---hey, sir! Where ye goin'?!" Fanny's question went unheard as Rachel ran to Patton and grabbed him by his collar.

"Where's 411, Patton?!" She demanded softly, causing Patton to salute seriously.

"Sir! She's detained in your office, sir!" The Supreme Leader dropped her hold on him and marched towards the familiar hallway to the deck. Fanny and Nigel trailing right behind her.

Reaching her office, she discovered two guards on either side of the door guarding Amy. They saluted her and granted her entrance inside.

Amy sat at the opposite end of Rachel's desk, head bowed down in a sort of tired state, her short brown hair covered her face like a veil.

Cautiously, she stepped to her seat behind the desk and cleared her throat. Amy jumped to attention and was surprised at the commander in front of her. Apparently, she didn't notice anybody in the room.

"Amy," Rachel gently chided. "Are you well?"

The archives director averted her eyes again and looked down on her lap. Rachel could see the girl's hands tremble in the lap.

The blond sighed and tentatively walked around the desk to kneel in front of the poor girl. Amy watched in surprise as the Supreme Leader looked up at her, concerned.

"You have to tell us sooner or later, Numbuh 411. Seeing you traumatized only proves that this situation is dire. I know about Numbuh 777, Amy," She had expected Amy to appear confused, but was baffled when her eyes flickered an understanding. "We know that 777 is important to this conflict, but we need to know what had happened to you, what did they want from you, and what are they planning. You have to tell us." She had also referred to Nigel, Fanny, and Patton who had teetered near the doorway.

There was silence for a few minutes. Nigel had become impatient again, but Rachel knew that Amy was dredging up the courage to speak so she remained silent.

Amy shyly opened her mouth to speak. At first, no sound had echoed out, but she gained momentum when Nigel coughed impatiently. "I...didn't know...I should've known—I was so stupid!" Rachel watched in surprise as tears cascaded down her face. "I know every information...why didn't I see into this--?! They'd suffered...! Suffered and we did nothing! He told me---that it was for the good of us all!"

Nigel eyes widened in realization at the reality of Amy's broken statement.

"Who told you these things, Amy?" Rachel demanded softly. "What should have we had known?"

She had promptly ignored her. She was always a quivering child, so enticing information from her was hard enough. "I...saw...something, w-well, I heard it...but...it was terrible! What they're planning...I couldn't believe it."

Rachel glanced to Fanny who had looked shocked in an out of character kind of way. Her face was contorted with extreme sympathy even more so than before.

"I escaped...I found a crawl space hidden behind the Chamber...I couldn't take it anymore! His words—those painful taunting sounds!" Amy covered her face with her hands. "Numbuh 777, the only one who escaped such torture! So young—to be Delightfulized...but it wasn't THAT Delightfulization...it was terrible! They---they destroy your being, thoughts, dreams---he said, 'Why? Why didn't you help us?' 'Where is she? 777?' 'Can you see this ghost? Where were you when this happened?'---terrible things, it's my fault!!!" Amy sobbed uncontrollably and Rachel embraced her quickly.

"Who? Who said those things, Numbuh 411?" Nigel responded urgently. "You have to tell us."

Amy hiccuped incessantly, her words barely heard. "That...man...c-called him...'F-former N-numbuh 666'. H-he said...that...666 gave...her...up...N-numbuh...7-777. H-his f-fault s-she...escaped-d. W-wants...them all...t-together again...! Because...she has..s-seen..everything."

Fanny scoffed angrily. "You mean that that stoopid 666 betrayed 777?!"

"No, I think 666 saved 777 from Delightfulization," Rachel corrected, stroking Amy's hair. "A man said that it was 666's fault that she had escaped being converted. They want to find her for some reason, to reunite...I guess."

"And quite possibly to silence 777 from tattling about the conspiracy regarding Sector Z disappearances," Nigel said darkly. Fanny was about to open her mouth, but he answered her unheard question immediately. "Despite being formally decommissioned, Numbuh 86. Remember, decommissioning isn't permanent if someone wants to reawaken those memories. You proved that theory when you recommissioned my fellow teammates that time when Chad wrongly applied that we were thirteen years old. Whoever they are, they don't want to take that chance."

Remembering what else Amy had said previously, he crouched beside Rachel so he could talk to her privately. "Amy said for 'the good of us all'. That was in the reports regarding Sector Z, remember?"

Rachel acutely nodded after thinking about it. She shook Amy a bit as she was falling asleep from fatigue. "You need to stay awake, Amy. Where were you found? Do you remember what city?"

If they can discover the venue of these happenings, it could be possible to find them.

Amy was quiet again, probably thinking it out. She answered quite clearly. "I-I don't know where...it was strange. There were a lot of people around, like a huge festival or something...I saw the Eiffel Tower...but, I also saw the Statue of Liberty...and the Coliseum. I even saw a pirate ship...!"

"She's raving," Fanny concluded dispassionately. "Eet's impossible for all dos' monuments ta be in da same place."

Sadly, Nigel and Rachel had to agree.

* * *

"Doctor, you are aware that the child under the alias of Numbuh 411, has escaped the premises?" The shadowed assistant informed the other shadowed figure's back.

The doctor hovered pleasantly in front of the glass pod, which was musked with a bluish-green gas. "Oh yes, child. In fact, I _let _her escape. She'll be the catalyst to bringing 777 here at last. Father's pathetic attempts to do so have worn my patience ever so these past few months. I'm giving him once last chance to redeem himself now that I've given 777's identity to him on a silver platter. And that we know who 777 is thanks to little Amy."

The assistant momentarily glanced at the multiple figures hovering behind the pod, muttering 777's name constantly as it became the sole theme of the conversation. "That was your plan all along, Doctor?"

The shadowed figure of the Illuminati looked up at the glass ravenously. "That was the plan all along. Uno and McKenzie will deliver 777 to us personally." He turned his head towards the other shadowed beings to his left. They were tittering around impatiently. "Don't you worry. You'll all be reunited again. A happy family indeed."

His laughter echoed continuously throughout the darkened lab room.

* * *

Amy had nothing else to say at the moment and Rachel enlisted the guards to abandon their post and keep watch over her in the infirmary while she and Nigel planned a decent strategy for their next move.

They had barely made it out of the deck when Numbuh 2 of Sector V charged almost right at them, but stopped short, huffing slightly.

Nigel blinked in surprise. "Numbuh 2! What are you doing here?"

"I'm so glad I found you!" Hoagie wheezed. "Numbuh 4, 5, and I went searching for you here as an excuse to escape Lizzie! Numbuh 3's keeping her company until then."

The leader of Sector V went pale. "You brought her here to Moonbase?! Are you mad?!"

Numbuh 2 held his hands up defensively. "Hey, we tried to keep her busy while you were gone on the mission, but she caught on when she found out that you returned and were on Moonbase, she _insisted _to come aboard to see you! Sorry Numbuh 1, but it was bound to happen sooner or later! I mean, Numbuh 4 is quite possibly scarred for life thanks to that red-head terror!"(2)

Nigel slapped his forehead while Rachel snickered through her hand. "Go on then, Numbuh 1," She taunted him by acting professional. "Numbuh 86 and I will construct a decent plan for the next move. I'm authorizing you a break from work to deal with uh...personal problems. We'll call you if we need you. "

"Hey!" Nigel yelled at the leaving duo who were laughing at his own expense. "That's a misuse of power! You're just _asking _for my demise!"

"One less boy ta worry aboot!" Fanny smirked back as the door slid close.

* * *

"To tell you the truth," Rachel looked up thoughtfully. Leaving Numbuh 1 to deal with his girlfriend seemed to be the best idea she had ever come up with. Even _she _had the jitters around the fiery red-head. "I don't know if it's me or some godly outside force that's doing it, but lately I've only been seeing either short cameos of Sector V or you and Patton together so far in these turn of events. Care to elaborate?"

Fanny only shrugged. "Don't know, sir. Mehbe God 'as been running low on inspiration? Let's get on with dis plan o' ye's, instead o' tryin' ta break da fourth wall, aye?"(3)

The blond sighed warily. "But what if...this is like some bad story and we're all caught up on it for the invisible reader's enjoyment?"

"'Ey, 'ey!!!" Fanny jumped in front of her best friend, her hands giving the signal of a time out. "Don't go breakin' da fourth wall! Besides, if dere really was an audience, wouldant we be notified?"

She responded to this notion with silence. Fanny began to nod coolly.

"O' yea, I'm deep!"

"Maybe I'm just tired," Rachel yawned with a huge stretch during the walk to the deck. "I'm just going insane, that's all."

"More like a quick trip ta get yer 'ead examined in da infirmary, sir," Fanny agreed dubiously. This illicit a glare from said commander. "So...on ta bigger, better topics, who's da lucky stoopid boy, Lass?"

"Eh?" Rachel stopped midstep to stare down at her wayward second-in-command. "Mind informing me of why you believe that I've got a boyfriend?"

"Dat ring, Lass," Rachel covered her hand instinctively. "E's dere something peculiar aboot eet dat ye won't share with yer best friend?"

"This ring?" She grudgingly held it up for her friend to see. "It's supposed to be a friendship ring from Numbuh 1."

Fanny blinked and was almost lost in it's endless, twisted designs when she smirked. "Aye, Lass. 'Tis no friendship ring if eet's on da ring finga'!"

"Don't get any ideas!" She pulled her hand away much to Fanny's disappointment and stuffed it into her pocket. "It couldn't fit any of my other fingers and I'm planning on having it resized anyways. It's no big deal."

"Eet's no big deal only if nobody notices eet, sir," She reasoned shamelessly. "Besides, don't you think eet's, I don't know, destiny or somethin'?"

"What are you talking about?" Rachel demanded.

"Destiny, like eet was meant for dat finger or somethin', like ye said, dis God o' ye's might be telling ye somethin' important.(4) Besides, eet be a darn shame ta resize eet, eet looks too fragile ta me."

"I'm rich, Fanny," Rachel bluntly reminded her. "It will be just fine to resize. This ring's at least important to me enough not to take it to a cheap jeweler."

"Aye, Lass, I forgot," Fanny scratched her head diligently. "Ye neva' used yer power of money before in the KND. Probably why I forgot aboot da whole rich family bit."

Rachel shrugged. "It's alright. I'm not the type to flaunt my family's pish-posh life, my little brother doesn't like the leg up either. Sometimes I do wish I could be in a middle-class suburban home with everyone else. I think the only real friends I've got are here in KND."

"Aww, dat's sweet, sir," Fanny thumped her on the back quite strongly. "At least ye don't have a fatha' who wants ta destroy KND with da other villains! Sometimes I wonda' where his brain is, goin' afta kids an all."

The blond automatically sobered up. Yeah, that was worse.

She sighed and put one arm over Fanny's shoulders and began walking again. "You know Fanny, sometimes you just help me see how worst off people are compared to me."

"Hey!"

It was the first time in these few months were they able to freely laugh again.

* * *

"Nigel Uno!" Lizzie growled angrily, her nervous boyfriend keeping a reasonable distance away from her in the process.

"Hi Lizzie," Nigel responded nervously. "You look absolutely stunning, by the way..."

That was when Lizzie charged forward causing Nigel to take a defended step back. She came up eye to eye with him which made him intimidated. "Don't try to butter me up, Nigel Uno! What's this about some girl taking a romantic trip with you to Europe?!"

"It wasn't romantic and it wasn't a trip!" Nigel defended hotly. "I was on a top secret mission with my Supreme Leader, who just happened to be a girl, to Europe in order to locate missing operatives! One of them was kidnapped for godsakes!"

"If it was sooooo important, why did you not tell me you were going instead I have to hear it from your dumb Kids Next Door friends?!" The red-head topped viciously.

"They're not dumb!" Nigel was losing this battle and he knew it. Nothing made Lizzie change her mind, not even him. "It happened so sudden!"

Lizzie was quiet for a bit, and he wondered if she fully comprehended his words. Her next sentence made him groan. "I know what this is about! It's about the rings! You ran off because you don't want to be with me forever!" She was on the verge of tears and Nigel hated girls crying.

Even though, that was part of the reason, he wasn't going to relay that information to her. "Listen, Lizzie---no, don't start crying! I just...we're just twelve years old, ya know? Maybe we should wait until we're a little bit older? It's pretty much like getting married to me and I'm not ready for it."

She then automatically stopped crying, but glared at him. "I see now, you just want to play the field, don't you! That's what all you boys like to do, go from one girl to the next over and over and over!"

"No!" Nigel retorted angrily. "You're twisting my words, Lizzie! I like to keep my promises, but what happens down the line, long-term promises, I don't know the outcome of! I don't want to promise forever to you and then hurt you in the next few years because of it! It's never about me, it's always about you! Always getting your way instead of sharing the blame!"

"Excuse me?!" Lizzie yelled back. "Just because I know what I want in life, doesn't make me the bad guy here. It's _you _that's afraid of being rejected, not me! It's always missions over dates, group time over couple time and I'm sick of it!"

The firm leader looked her straight in the eye. "Then you don't want to be with _me. _That's who I am, Lizzie! I'm not some lovey-dovey, gushy little romantic you want me to be! I need adventure, risk, and danger. I'm not ready to sit back and watch, I want to be in on something! I want to learn about what's out there and..."

_Grow up...?_

He kept seeing Rachel's image with every passing word spoken. If she was here, would she defend him? Or Lizzie? It was like Lizzie was his childhood, the little sweetheart that did childish things but loved it all the same.

And Rachel...felt like his future. The cornerstone of growing up. She was the shining leap up to teenage-hood. These strange new feelings and memories of closeness was clearing this haze in the back of his mind.

Would she be the one...to open that door he was searching for for so long...?

Was she the transition of leaving childhood for the last time?(5)

"You need to take a break and get your head examined!" Lizzie snorted dismissively and grabbed his wrist to take him to the docks leading to the ships leading for Earth. "I didn't understand anything that you were spewing out! Stop trying to act like a grown-up, Nigie..."

Her last sentence hit him like a ton of bricks. He was acting like a grown-up? Did she not heed his heartfelt words? He forced Lizzie to stop her pulling. "Now what?!" She demanded exasperatingly.

He only looked at her in pity and disappointment, taking off his sunglasses to stare at her more clearly.

"No more."

"What?"

"I can't get through to you. It's been a helter-skelter romance from the start and you know it. I'm holding you back. You and I both know it. I'm not happy, you're _obviously _not happy." He gently pulled her hand off of his and stared at her blank expression.(6)

"You're...you're breaking up with me?" She clarified disbelievingly.

For once in his life, he didn't know what to say. He cared about her, so much. Defended their relationship when others had scorned or disapproved it, fought for her love so many times against opposition, despite her character, took care of him in times of need.

And now, he was doing the one thing he had never dreamed of?

Even his words were hesitant. "I-I think we should s-sep..." God, that word was so hard to say. "s-separate...only for a bit, okay? It's not definite--"

"--it is," She interrupted him, genuine pain mirrored her features. "Or else, you would have stayed with me through thick and thin."

"Lizzie..." Nigel had to rethink his situation. He wasn't actually planning on breaking up with her?! "I'm just tired, okay? This whole mission and all, plus you clawing at my back every step of the way. I really like you, Lizzie."

Lizzie stepped back angrily. "But you don't say you _love _me! Why the sudden change of heart all of a sudden?! You've changed, Nigel Uno, and you don't see it!"

Nigel just stood, amazed, as Lizzie twisted away and stormed into the deeper recesses of Moonbase to get away from him.

"Lizzie..?"

What had he done just now?

* * *

From just outside the loading dock, Rachel leaned back against the wall and sighed sadly. Despite it all, it was heartbroken to see Nigel and Lizzie break up.

After she and Fanny had decided to wait it out for the next move of option, she was going to issue new orders to Nigel of returning to Virginia for now. It was only after asking Numbuh 3 where they were heading did she accidentally eavesdropped on the intense conversation that was transpiring between the leader of Sector V and his wayward girlfriend.

For the first time, she had sympathized with Lizzie. Nigel was at the age to be very confused about things and Lizzie was the first victim in the crossfire.

"Supreme Leader, you have a message from Ohio," Rachel jumped in alarm as she found Patton to her right. She felt like such a sneak for some reason.

"Ohio?" Rachel blinked. "You mean from home?"(7)

Patton saluted. "Your little brother sent you it after you left, but your intentional whereabouts were unknown and there was no chance of contact other from 86." Rachel took the letter and dismissed Patton.

She read it:

_Rachel,_

_I don't know who had sent this to me, but it was addressed to you and there was no return address either. Dad thought it was a letter bomb, though, and tried to throw it in the fireplace. You don't know how hard I fought to keep it. You owe me big time._

_Later_

_Numbuh 363_

She snorted at the last sentence. Whatever, she'll just give him a better mission next time...

...or take him out for ice cream. She had to admit, he had his golden moments. Maybe she had to thank him much more prominently later.

She flipped the next note behind the intentional letter and looked quizzically at it.

_In the brightest hour of my darkest day  
I realized what is wrong with me  
Can't get over you  
Can't get through to you  
It's been a helter-skelter romance from the start  
Take these memories that are haunting me  
Of a paper man cut into shreds  
By his own pair of scissors  
He'll never forgive her  
He'll never forgive her  
_

_Because days come and go  
But my feelings for you are forever  
Because days come and go  
But my feelings for you are forever  
_

_One last kiss  
Before I go  
Dry your tears  
It is time to let you go  
_

_One last kiss  
Before I go  
Dry your tears  
It is time to let you go  
_

_Because days come and go  
But my feelings for you are forever  
Because days come and go  
But my feelings for you are forever  
_

_One last kiss  
Before I go  
Dry your tears  
It is time to let you go  
_

_One last kiss  
Before I go  
Dry your tears  
It is time to let you go  
_

_One last kiss_(8)

"Song lyrics or a poem?" Rachel looked at it disbelievingly, then flipped it back to back to see if there were any extra writing on it. "Is this a prank, or something...?"

Shaking her head at the mysterious piece of paper, she crunched it into her hand. "What a crock."

"You." Rachel turned to see who was speaking to her. "Huh?"

Lizzie looked her up and down. Kuki had told her that their Supreme Leader had blond hair and an air of strictness to her. "Are you what they call the Supreme Leader?"

Rachel observed the situation and found it uncomfortable to be on the receiving end of a newly single ex-girlfriend, especially if she's known to get violent. She wondered if lying would save her from prosecution...

"Yes I am. Do you need something?" She answered as pacifically as possible.

The red-head ignored her, instead, taking in a good look of her. She had a fleeting feeling that this blond girl had a significant hand in her ex-boyfriend's change. And if she did...

...she would not be able to control herself.

"That ring," She pointed at Rachel's left hand. Rachel had never felt so terrified in her life. "Who gave you that ring?"

Rachel instinctively covered it. Oh, boy. "A good friend gave it to me," She admitted gently. "But it wouldn't fit any other finger but the ring finger, but I am planning on having it resized, really."

It was the truth. No doubt about it.

But Lizzie knew for a fact that Rachel had dodged the question. "_Who _gave it to you?" She repeated dangerously. Apparently, rank has no importance to her if she's speaking so condescending to a high ranking agent.

Rachel took a deep breath and sealed her death sentence. "Nigel did. But he only did it because we're frie--"

She never had the chance to finish her explanation.

* * *

Nigel walked out of the docks, contemplating this newfound, yet empty freedom now that he gave Lizzie up. His decision became more bleak and less intelligent by the minute.

It felt evil, what he did. And, quite possibly clichéd. No doubt half the KND would be cheering by now, but to him...

...it was really heartbreaking. He wasn't going forget the great Lizzie Devine in a long time and it wouldn't be ill-willed memories either.

It was a melancholy, distant approach in his chest. The reality of separation was going to dawn on him in the morning, that's for sure.

But after walking down the hallway to see his ex-girlfriend choking the living daylights out of the girl he felt so strongly for was going to be put in the not-so-great Lizzie Devine's accomplishments in the central nervous system for months to come.

"Stop it, Lizzie!" Nigel shouted in alarm as he then sprinted faster toward the duo.

Lizzie would not heed his words this time. No, it was now killing time. She felt an immense gratification of the blond rival's weak sounds she was making of being choked to death.

"You're the one!" Her red polished fake nails were pushing against her throat painfully. She began to choke. "You want to take my Nigel away!"

"N-no..." She managed to squeeze out of her voice-box. Rachel dropped the note to claw uselessly at the resilient hands. "Please...I...w-wouldn't...!"

Nigel managed to reach them and tried to pull Lizzie off his suffocating commander, but panicked as he found it useless. Lizzie was a very strong girl. "Stop Lizzie! She had nothing to do about us! Let her go!"

"BOYFRIEND STEALER!!!" Lizzie yelled so loudly that nearby doors in the corridor opened and many younger operatives watch in terror as their beloved commander was now making coughing sounds from the choke-hold. "HOME-WRECKER, SCARLET WOMAN, WITCH!!!!"

"Help me!" Nigel pleaded the shocked operatives, but it wasn't until Fanny, Patton, and the rest of Sector V appeared in deep conversation. Then, seeing the spectacle, rushed in to pull Lizzie off of the now blue Supreme Commander and detain the wild red-head.

"Numbuh 362!" Numbuh 5 turned Rachel over so she could breathe more clearly and it resulted in heavy coughing. "You alright, girl?"

"What happened?" Numbuh 3, in her eternal happiness asked excitedly. "Did Lizzie accidentally glue her hands to your neck?" She then watched as the boys struggled vainly to control Lizzie and she whistled. "She should join the SWAT squad of the KND!! She's strong!!!"

"Aye, ye bumblin' lass! Go get da medic ova' 'ere, befor' _I _strangle ye!" Numbuh 86 scoffed in annoyance and thumped the back of her best friend, probably hoping she'd get better this way. Kuki followed orders and skipped, Fanny knew without a doubt, all the way to the infirmary.

Rachel's coughing nearly ceased when the boys temporarily placed Lizzie in jail, at least until she was sane enough to be sent back to Earth. The medic looked her over.

"Yes, yes. It looks like a case of choking."

The commander glared at him. "I'd never guess, Doctor." She blinked when she realized how hoarse her voice was.

He promptly ignored her and gave Abby a piece of paper with scribbles on it, trying to look professional. "Take her to the infirmary to rest for now. I take it that it was a pretty bad choking if her voice sounds like a cheese grater..." Rachel promptly stuck her tongue out at him. "So, we'll give her some ice cream to soften up the vocal cords and no neck exercises for at least a week."

"Yeah, I promise not to twist my neck all around as often," At least her sarcasm hasn't left her yet.

Abby and Fanny helped her up and moved cautiously to the infirmary much to Rachel's chagrin.

"I'm not a glass vase, you guys!!!"

* * *

While laying dejected on the hospital bed, she contemplated having the memory of nearly being choked to death decommissioned. How embarrassing, in front of the young ones no doubt.

Amy was resting beside her, in deep sleep. Rachel knew that the little one deserved all the rest she could muster.

Numbuh 411's version of a venue still bothered her, though. Naming all those historical monuments in one setting was reasonably insane, but something was gnawing in the back of her head...

"Sir...?" A soft voice shook her from her thoughts.

Rachel turned to see Amy barely awake, but her eyes held confusion. "What happened to you...?"

"Long story." The blond growled to herself. As long as Amy was awake, maybe she could pull more information from her. "Say, Amy. Numbuh 86 informed me that a rogue KND member attacked the Archives a few days ago," Rachel watched in interest when Amy shifted uncomfortably in her bed. "Do you know why...?"

Amy turned her head to stare at the ceiling. "I'm sorry. But, I promised not to tell on him. He just wanted to help. In return, he showed me the way to escape."

This piqued the commander's interest. So, it wasn't Cree Lincoln if she's talking about a boy. "Who's 'he'?"

"I can't tell anyone. Especially not you," Amy shifted her head again to look at Rachel, her eyes were bright with understanding. "He said you were clever enough to figure it out on your own."

"Well, that's just nice of him," Rachel muttered sarcastically. "Kick her when she's down."

"Numbuh 362!!!" Rachel watched as her curtains were pulled away to reveal Fanny and Patton.

"I think the only thing I'm worried about is Lizzie escaping jail," Rachel responded blandly. "Don't tell me that's what happened."

"Even better!" Fanny exclaimed. Rachel quirked an eyebrow. "Rememba' when I said dat Numbuh 411's location was fishy? Well, I was jokin' around with Secta NV an' dey said dere was such a thing! So, I was like, 'Shut up, ye stoopid boy!' an' he was like, 'Ye shut up, cuz Las Vegas has all dat stuff in one place.' So when I said 'How did dey do dat?!', he said, 'Dere all fake for tourists!'. Dats when I realized dat Amy was sayin' about a lot o' people around like a festival! Eet could 'ave been tourists!"

Rachel blinked. "Las Vegas?"

"And sir!" Patton saluted. "Intelligence informed me thirty minutes ago regarding your mission. It was discovered that Father has dispatched his Nightamatons at 0600-eleventy hours. They are heading to Las Vegas as we speak."

The Supreme Leader jumped out of bed. "What?! Where's Numbuh 1?!"

It was then that Nigel had bounded forward looking apologetic. "Rachel, I'm so sorry for what Lizzie did to you! If I had known how crazy she'd get, I'd had send her home sooner. If you're going to blame anyone, blame me."

"That doesn't matter now, Numbuh 1, we've got other matters to attend to," Rachel finished tying her shoelaces and righted herself up.

It was then that Amy had grabbed the end of her shirt. "Father got the green light."

"What?"

"They found who Numbuh 777 is," Amy whispered dejectedly. "It's all my fault. They forced it out of me. They said they'd let me go if I gave them a name, but they never kept their word."

Rachel smiled gently and patted her hand to let go of her shirt. "It's not your fault."

"Yeah," Nigel proclaimed softly. "You're just...a kid."

Wow, he had never thought of saying those words in his entire life.

"Da name," Fanny demanded. "What's 'er name, lass?!"

Amy wouldn't speak. Patton took the lead. "Give us the name, soldier! If you want to redeem yourself, now's the time to do it!"

"Valesti," Amy answered, determination in her eyes. "Numbuh 777's real name is Reina Valesti."

Something clicked in Rachel's head at once.

"_Are you alright?!" An unfamiliar voice said close to her right ear. She turned and stared at a young woman who was dressed in a bright yellow Warped Tour security uniform._

"_The senile old schmuck!" The head huffed, out of breath. "I don't know how he took Jacobi's voice, but he's not getting away with it while I'm in charge!"_

"_Just Rei. Didn't I tell you to get off of stage? This isn't a place for children!"_

"_As long as it'll save the concert!" The two KND members watched in awe as Rei expertly aimed at the moving villain and emptied three eggs from the weapon, the first two knocking the villain off-guard and the last clogging up the tuba's exhaust pipe causing him to spin out of control and falling on stage. _

She fought so well during that time, how had they missed it?

"She was right in front of us all along..." Rachel whispered dejectedly. "Now what...?"

"What? Do you mean that you saw 777?!" Nigel grabbed her by the shoulders. "Why didn't you tell anyone?"

Rachel ignored him, in awe by these new turn of events. "We've found her! Numbuh 777! I...can't believe who it is...!"

"We did?" Nigel raised an eyebrow. "When was this?"

"You saw her too," She defended righteously. When nothing registered on his face, she groaned. "The head of security on the tour? That Rei woman who took down Maestro Silencio with just three eggs?"

Nigel blinked. "What are you talking about? I don't remember the head of security taking down that creepy adult! _We _took care of that, remember?"

Rachel was flabbergasted. She was sure that had happened! "Don't you remember that time where she told us to get off stage because we were kids?! _You _were the one who gave her your F.O.S.S.E.Y. to combat that villain! Are you telling me that you don't remember her?!"

"Why would I give an adult stranger my weapon?" Nigel challenged, his eyebrow cocked up disbelievingly. "Listen, I'd think I'd remember that sort of thing happening, Numbuh 362."

"But--! But that doesn't make sense at all!"

"Let's worry about chit-chat later, sirs!" Patton ended the conversation abruptly. "We've received word

that they're moving at a rapid pace. If there's any time to take action, this would be it, guys!"

Nigel looked up, professionalism taking control. "The Nightamatons have been released by Father! You know what that means!"

Yeah, settling this once and for all. Finally seeing Numbuh 777 face to face, figuring out this intense mystery unfolding...

...and one step closer to discovering the truth.

Transmission Interrupted

* * *

WIKI NOTES!!!

(1) My sister had done this once, being so nervous the peanut bag exploded. It's really annoying when it happens for some inexplicable reason...especially during a six hour flight.

(2) Whatever happened to poor Wally, we'll never know...

(3) This was actually a dare by close friends of mine to stick a breach of the 'fourth wall' into this chapter. For those who don't know this term, it means the characters of a piece of fiction, most notably in plays, the actors would break from the actual play and address or acknowledge the audience watching, thus breaking the invisible wall between the play and the people watching them. Fourth wall is derived from the fact that the play has three walls that are part of the set and notably, the fourth wall is toward the audience but the actors in character do not realize the audience to give the feel of theatre. Sort of an OOC thing, for more information visit Wikipedia!

(4) I guess in the moment of insanity writing this, I have a big enough ego to be called their God, or at least, Rachel's God in this story. She's the one who suspects the breaking fourth wall after all.

(5) It's best to listen to the songs 'Ohio is For Lovers' and 'The Transition' by Hawthorne Heights during the fight between Nigel and Lizzie. It's meh inspiration.

(6) These are roughly actual lyrics to the song that would become the climax chapter's title. 'Nough said.

(7) Yes, Rachel lives in Ohio. It plays really well with the chapter title, doesn't it? Ohio. Is. For. Lovers.

(8) Don't shun these lyrics! They are huge in later chapters because I feel like it, nyah. Extra points for those who genuinely know this song. But I know you guys are gonna cheat and look it up on google or something...but yeah, like number 6, the lyrics title will be the climax chapters title, because it fits, okay?!

The break-up was really difficult to write because all the other Nigel/Rachel fics I've read had the big break-up with Lizzie and I wanted it dignified in the least!

* * *

SNEAK PEEK FOR CHAPTER 7!

Chapter 7: Crash and Burn

Rachel stopped short, but Nigel went ahead to search for the infamous Reina Valesti. She could hear familiar music being lost by the drowned out screams inside the House of Blues. "Those lyrics...Are you, telling me you're in there...?"

"Let's see how Nigel Uno's wounded pride would be when I take his beloved Sector V to _him_...!" Father laughed cruelly as the Teen Ninjas followed him as well.

"This isn't the first time the initial plan has failed, but no matter...! I think it's time to hurt Numbuh 777 in the most painful of ways...the heart!" The doctor sneered at the shadowed male figure. "Wouldn't you prefer this? After all, Numbuh 666, she's the one who left you and the rest of the Sector oh, so long ago!"

"Fanny! You have a ring! Isn't that...?!"

Amy, now completely confident, took action. "There's something I had overheard while I was detained in Las Vegas. I really don't know what it means, it was something about...a new world order..." The group sat back as she continued. "And, after intense discovery and study, I think I know the secret to the mystery of the missing operatives of Sector Z."

"Nigel..." Rachel wrung her hands badly on her lap, all the time feeling like crud for announcing this when so much had happened in his life, but... "I've been meaning to tell you this for a long time...but I didn't know if I was sure about it..."

* * *

For every second you don't review...a puppy dies. Seriously, I'm not joking. 


	7. Bat Country

A/N: Jeez, I've been gone long... :( I have so many logical excuses as to why, but I don't think you really care about that...heh. Anyways, in my notes, many things have been changed thanks to my maturing inspiration, so yeah. I hope you're not too pissed at me. :) 

BTW: I think the only thing I changed in the overall story was some of the chapter names. I wanted something a little more contemporary to my current inspiration.

* * *

Transmission Reestablished

Chapter 7: Bat Country

"Despite it all," Rachel whispered so quietly to herself, that it was more like silently mouthing. "He still goes on with the mission."

She and Nigel were seated in a 2x4 buggy moving rapidly across the Nevada border. Her comrade had remained silent throughout the ride, occasionally looking dejectedly out the window.

Knowing that it had something to do with Lizzie, Rachel didn't bring the subject up at all after leaving the Infirmary. Nigel was a guy, and it was sort of a guy's universal code or whatever to mope in a sort of silent pride after getting it bruised.

Numbuh 5, who was seated between Hoagie and Rachel, clicked her tongue impatiently at the silent group. Even Kuki was wise enough to keep her mouth shut and busied herself by playing house with her new Rainbow Monkey 'Pirate Treasure' doll. Maybe she was even smart enough not to bring the 'Hearts in Love' version that she had painstakingly waited for because Nigel would have taken noticed.

"Ey! You were betta off without dat crazy gal!" Wally slapped Nigel's unresponsive back in an attempt to cheer him up. "Way betta! There are more nica, prettia gals in da ocean, mate!"

"Shut up, Numbuh 4 before Numbuh 5 wipes the floor with ya!" Abby went to Nigel's aid. "We've got more important things to do than personal problems, right Numbuh 1?"

Nigel looked at Abby, then surprisingly at Rachel who dutifully gave him a reassuring nod. "Right, Numbuh 5. I'm not worried about...about Lizzie. Personal problems are put aside for a mission. That's KND rule numbuh 3, right?"

"Right." They trailed in broken unison.

Rachel sighed and leaned forward to set her chin on her hand against her knee, contemplating the next move. Despite Nigel's futile attempts to get his thoughts together, nothing at the moment was going to distract him fully from that wounded heart of his. She only wished that he had broken up with her AFTER the mission, but it was her guess that fate had it's own plans in mind.

"Wow, guys!" Hoagie leaned out the window. His tone was of awe and excitement. "There's like a huge Egyptian pyramid over there!"

They all went to see, but of course they were still children, so they scrambled like mad, apart from Nigel and Rachel, to see if their friend was telling the truth.

"Well, yeah," The Sector NV driver yawned in utter boredom. "It's called the Luxor. Like most of the gimmicks you'll see, they're hotels and casinos. They're just used to lure in tourists and judging by how fast you guys got riled up, the adults are doing their jobs." At the mention of an adult succeeding at something, they scrambled back to their seats, embarrassed. "Just a head's up, all the monuments are fake. They're just used to back up their themes and attract customers, so don't get your heads all in a spin. Trust me, you'll get used to it long enough as it is."

Rachel patted the back of the driver's seat for attention. "You have discovered her location, then? Numbuh 777's?"

The driver's side looked at her to respond. "Oh yeah, sir. It was very easy now that we have a name. Sources indicate that she's a heavy gambler, but her age stops her from going to casinos. She deals blackjack and poker on the streets sometimes. Very well known around here, she's really good at swindling cash from people."

"Ooooh! She plays games for a living?!" Kuki excitedly exclaimed.

"Neva mind her," Abby reassured the eyebrow raising operative. "She's a little conked on the head."

* * *

Reaching deep into the city took longer than they had thought, for it had become dusk and rainclouds were slowly dropping by.

Sector NV stopped in front of an unnamed casino much to Rachel's confusion and as Sector V wordlessly shuffled out into the dropping temperature of the Las Vegas air, she stopped the driver before he pulled away.

"What's this?" The Supreme Leader inquired as the group began to hold themselves near the entrance and shiver uncontrollably. "What are we doing here?"

The driver patted the wheel a little impatiently. "Listen, sir. We've received word from our Treehouse of Circus Joker terrorizing a class of kids on their field trip to Ethel M.'s Chocolate Factory. Our sources have indicated the Valesti girl's location within this casino, more specifically the House of Blues."

"What's a 'House of Blues'?" Numbuh 5 scratched her head.

"Silly! It's a house with blue in it, Numbuh 5!" Kuki giggled as she cuddled her Rainbow Monkey for more warmth.

"Stoopid girl! It's where teens and adults go to dance to their music!" The driver gritted his teeth and started the engine. "Now, go inside and follow the signs. That should lead you there. Unfortunately, we won't be able to provide backup for you, sir."

Rachel nodded and saluted him. "You are dismissed."

They watched almost yearningly as the familiar vehicle of the KND drove from sight, now in unfamiliar territory.

"Well, what are you guys waiting for? An invitation?" Nigel gained his composure and straightened his sunglasses. He knew that him being in control would raise their confidence a bit and he didn't want to prove a nuisance to his Supreme Commander.

Rachel gave a reassuring smirk and followed forward. "You heard your captain! Onward!"

* * *

After a number of misguided routes and dodging casino security, they reached a purposeful dank establishment with neon blue letters baring the sign: House of Blues.

Numbuh 3 almost at once shied away from it's menacing environment. "It's too scary looking!"

"Don't be a baby, Numbuh 3!" Wally chattered through his teeth, but Rachel felt that it wasn't the cold.

Hoagie looked at the people walking in, adorned in black and wild piercings that made him shiver as well. "They look like my cousin on a rebellious stage...no doubt the teen music is going to be crazy!"

"Well, Numbuh 5 ain't scared of nothin'! Not even freaky teens!" Abby said smartly and stepped forward without fear to prove it.

Rachel contemplated the situation and called Nigel over. "Numbuh 1, maybe it's best that we leave backup here at the entrance."

"Why?" Was what Nigel was about to say until Rachel nudged her head to Numbuhs 2, 3, and 4 who looked apprehensively at the guy walking by with a bright green Mohawk. Realizing that he was being stared at by a group of kids he smirked and hissed at them tauntingly causing them to huddle together in fear. Instead, he said, "Good plan, sir." and motioned the group for a brief meeting.

"Listen, guys. Father might already be here to capture her, so we'll need backup near the entrance. Numbuh 2, 3, and 4, your job is to stay here at the entrance and call us via communicator if you see Father and stall him until we give you the go ahead to run. Numbuh 5, 362, and I will go and look for Agent 777 in there," He pointed at the House of Blues for clarity. "Everyone got it?"

They all murmured assent and Abby, Nigel and Rachel proceeded inside, narrowly dodging the security and lost each other in the darkness that plagued the whole establishment as groups upon groups of people forced them apart.

"Numbuh 5! Numbuh 1!" Rachel screamed at the top of her lungs, but it was drowned by the loud music. It was impossible to see, like being trapped in an ocean of beings without ever being able to see the front of your hands. Only blaring music and cheering was all she could comprehend.

Panic surfaced inside of her and she was still in fear as she was being involuntarily pushed everywhere and nowhere at the same time. She covered her face with her hands as strange smells attacked her, only identifying alcohol and smoke from something foreign. She wished she had Abby or Nigel with her.

_Over here._

She looked up into nothing, hearing something, but at the same time nothing. The voice sounded calm and unnerving from rest of the sounds. Taking a deep breath, she pulled a strand of hair behind her ear when the voice spoke again.

_To your right and there you'll be._

Rachel turned to her right and was face to face with a spotlight. She covered her eyes from the glare and the sweet sound came alive.

_There. There._

She looked ahead and saw glass expanding over a wall, showing everything in it's reflection. She saw her image looking back at her and behind her the dancing crowd, forgetting their lives for a moment.

_Lose yourself._

And she did. An arm pulled her arm back into the crowd and she was surrounded, but it was a good feeling. She felt the powerful rock music reverberating from head to the floor right under her and she followed the current of bodies dancing to the beat perfectly. She then crushed into the person who grabbed her arm and danced with him, almost awkwardly thanks to the limited movement of the crowd.

She just wanted to dance. Just dance life away, dance away childhood, bubblegum, stuffed animals, the KND...

No. Never the KND. That was her home. That was where HE was.

"Nigel..." Rachel mouthed as she pushed away from whoever it was that was crushing her and fought to find her friends but was lost in that darkness again.

She felt as if Nigel had just disappeared from existence. He was nowhere near her. She held her hand with the ring he gave her and felt like crying.

_Call for him and there he'll be._

Even before she heard the voice, she had bellowed Nigel's name into the darkness. And she gave a startled yelp as something grabbed her wrist and pulled her to the side.

The straying spotlight hit them and Rachel found herself enclosed in Nigel's protective arms.

"Rachel! Are you alright?!" Nigel raised his voice. She could only barely hear him.

"I'm fine!" She stuttered back. "Where's Abby?!"

Nigel led them through the crowd, away from the middle where a mosh pit was stirring. She could faintly see the crowd going wild and mock attacking each other in the pit.

They reached a good corner of the floor where their voices wouldn't be hindered as much and Nigel answered her question. "When Numbuh 5 and I lost you we were caught by Cree and the Teen Ninjas. We assumed that Chad left to search for Numbuh 777. He wasn't with the others. Numbuh 5 agreed to deal with the others while I searched for you. We better hurry and find her!"

Rachel nodded and they both pushed forward with a vengeance, knowing that 777 was dancing amongst the jaded crowd.

The newest song had hit a crescendo when Rachel realized that Nigel had forgotten what 777 looked like and she wondered if Nigel had hit that snag yet or not. She halted at once, Nigel looking at her.

"Did you find her?!"

_In the brightest hour of my darkest day  
I realized what is wrong with me  
Can't get over you  
Can't get through to you  
It's been a helter-skelter romance from the start  
_

Rachel stopped short, but Nigel went ahead to search for the infamous Reina Valesti. She could hear familiar music being lost by the drowned out screams inside the House of Blues. "Those lyrics...Are you, telling me you're in there...?"

_Take these memories that are haunting me  
Of a paper man cut into shreds  
By his own pair of scissors  
He'll never forgive her  
He'll never forgive her  
_

She doubtfully walked toward the stage, feeling like this was the right way. The song was melodic and entrancing like a well-read story.

_Because days come and go  
But my feelings for you are forever  
Because days come and go  
But my feelings for you are forever _

Her legs began to move faster, gently pushing her way through the crowd, the sadness of those words causing her eyes to sting for some reason.

_Sitting by a fire  
On a lonely night  
Hanging over from another good time  
With another girl  
Little dirty girl  
You should listen to this story of a life_

All she wanted to do was find out why. What was going on? What was happening in this mystery? Why did she feel like crying?

_You're my heroine  
In this moment I'm lonely  
Fulfilling my darkest dreams  
All these drugs all these women  
I'm never forgiven this broken heart of mine_

It was then that she ran as fast as she could, which had illicit angered yells and snarls as she pushed through desperately to find 777, who was calling for her so pleadingly.

_Because days come and go  
But my feelings for you are forever  
Because days come and go  
But my feelings for you are forever  
_

Reaching the stage, she only found security and the band playing and strange enough, that was what she was expecting of at the start. She walked around until she heard a faint melody of the song, but a feminine sound of a sort and Rachel knew who the voice belonged to.

_One last kiss  
Before I go  
Dry your tears  
It is time to let you go_

She stood, frozen, upon her destination. Sitting upon a corner of the stage, Reina Valesti stared straight at her benignly. A knowing smile gentle upon her face, her eyes, the brown color of autumn, boring deep into her soul.

_One last kiss_

Rachel took what felt like an eternity to inhale the air needed to speak. "Ex-Numbuh 777, you are under KND arrest by code blue-275, page 37, section 13, paragraph 4. Under special circumstances, you are to be temporarily reinstated to your KND license and undergo recommissioning..."

* * *

"Moron! Useless!" Father was smacked point blank into the harsh metal wall, landing onto the floor in a resounding thunk.

"I tried!" Father began to shake with terror. "But those meddling Kids Next Door got to her before we did!" He looked to the cowering Teen Ninjas for reassurance, but they too were terrified of the mad man in their midst.

Chad was the only one with the wits about him as he moved to placate the situation. "Doctor, instead of taking it out on Father, we should just regroup on another plan, right?"

The mad doctor stared almost blankly at first then smirked. "Yes, I already have a solution to this...little predicament..." He glared at Father, emphasizing the last few words. "Maybe you have concocted a little revenge for Nigel Uno...?"

"Y...yes...YES!" Father stood up at once at the prospect of seeing his nephew punished severely that his flames shot out to aimlessly swelter the room causing the doctor to grow angry.

"Those instruments are sensitive, you idiot!!!" the Doctor roared.

Father deflated at once. "Sorry. But yes, I want my revenge! Nigel Uno will pay for interfering!"

"Let's see how Nigel Uno's wounded pride would be when I take his beloved Sector V to _him_...!" Father laughed cruelly as the Teen Ninjas followed him as well.

The Doctor only watched impassively as Father gathered his Ninjas and left the lab, cackling merrily. "What a nutjob."

"Sir," Chad stayed behind as was instructed. "I know your plans no longer revolve around Father."

"That is true. Father has been nothing but a nuisance to me. But no matter, I have other things in store. Let him have his revenge," the Doctor paced to the pods covered in bright blue water.

Chad only shuddered momentarily at the animosity of the pods. They were glowing with an unnatural atmosphere and it wasn't until he could focus his eyes away from the monstrosities did he speak to the Doctor.

"When you gave me this particular order, I was confused. I thought you wanted Father to capture 777, but you ultimately told me to mess with Numbuh 362's head. Why?"

Shadowed figures around the pod became restless and agitated at being ignored, but the Doctor only laughed.

"At first the plan was to recover 777, but how it was playing out with this girl...(Rachel is her real name?), the inspiration is, how you say, changed a bit." He only chuckled at Chad's confused expression, as if anticipating it.

The doctor gave a seemingly longing sigh. "Girls. Amazing creatures, no? Ms. Rachel is at the stage where she is transitioning into a teenager, or the precursor to a woman. And still, she is conflicting inside. Her heart and her mind are growing more and more mature but she holds on to that little speck of childhood left. Women are beings of higher emotion. They could either grow into that flower of self-confidence and empowerment...or they could break before ever reaching that peak."

Chad narrowed his eyes in suspicion. Despite it all, he did not like how this was going. "Are you saying that you want to break Rachel McKenzie? The KND Leader with an iron fist?"

"Hmm..." The Doctor rubbed his chin. "Just a test, is all. Ms. Reina Valesti...I have already carefully laid the cracks out and yet I need to know as well if she had broken yet. That is another reason, beside the main motive why we need her to return here."

"I don't understand." Chad said at last, but the Doctor only chuckled.

"It is of no concern for now. You will know in time of what I mean." The Doctor readjusted his glasses and grinned like mad.

"This isn't the first time the initial plan has failed, but no matter...! I think it's time to hurt Numbuh 777 in the most painful of ways...the heart!" The doctor sneered at the shadowed male figure in the corner. "Wouldn't you prefer this? After all, Numbuh 666, she's the one who left you and the rest of the Sector oh, so long ago!"

* * *

Rachel ordered two cups of steaming hot chocolate from the vendor and gave a well-relaxed sigh. The infamous Numbuh 777 was detained peacefully in the Decommissioning Chamber to be recommissioned by Numbuh 86. She had hoped that maybe this mystery would be clear to them and everything would fall into place.

Meanwhile, it was time to care for a wounded heart. Nigel was still raw from the pain of a broken heart after the fight with Lizzie. Rachel wasn't a real romantic expert, but living for a few hours with it didn't really count as 'over it'.

His Sector had inconspicuously left as well, hinting that they couldn't do anything for him and letting him mull things over on his own while they kept an eye on Father.

It was blissful on the way to the archives without agents coming at her left and right for silly things they could do themselves. Mainly that it's around bedtime hour and many have either gone home or were sleeping in the barracks all the way on the other side of the base.

Nigel was currently dwelling in her destination, as many agents find the archives an equivalent to a library and rarely anyone visited there for trivial reasons. She assumed that that was why Nigel chose that particular place to mope in, no one to bother him.

The archives was huge and empty as usual. Shelves piled as high as she can crane her head to see, files haphazardly stuffed between an array of books, and few lamps lit in the study desks. Even the archives librarian, Numbuh Dewey-Decimal, wasn't around to prowl the shelves looking for agents abusing the material.

Nevertheless, the main fireplace on the far side where agents usually go to comfortably read their fairy tales or comic books was lit up with a blazing fire, creating a sort of a warm atmosphere to the dank location. As she walked towards the warmth, she noticed Nigel sitting on the floor beside a plush couch, staring into the flames like a lost puppy.

The scent of hot chocolate paraded his senses and he turned to see a steaming cup to his left. "I'm not really in the mood for hot chocolate."

"Ah, after I went all the way to the cafeteria to get it for you?" Rachel chided with mock contempt and flopped herself right next to him. "It's got extra marshmallows."

Nigel raised an eyebrow at the remark and then in resignation, took the hot chocolate from her.

They sat in a sort of comfortable silence, unconsciously enjoying each other's company while drinking the sweet beverage.

"So...how are things going with Numbuh 777?" Nigel drained his cup and set it down on the floor next to him.

Rachel had to snort in her cup. He would never change being a workaholic. "We won't know until the procedure is over," She confided. "Fanny is with her as we speak for the recommissioning process."

"Ah."

Another pregnant silence occurred. Until Rachel had the courage to say what she's been thinking of for a long time. "I'm truly sorry, Nigel. For what happened between you and Lizzie."

"There's nothing to be sorry for, Rachel. That was my decision," Nigel answered back quietly. "If anything, I should apologize for her sending you to the infirmary."

Oh. Right. She subconsciously rubbed her neck. "Well, if you want to talk about this some more, you know, to help you feel better...I won't judge." The truth of the matter was, she'd let a hundred girls have him if it made him happy and that was the godforsaken truth. She hated him like this, so sad and depressed in the world.

What he said next shocked her. "I think you're the last person I should talk to about this."

She turned to him, surprised. "Why?"

He got up and stared at her with such an intensity in his storm-like eyes. It wasn't of hatred or sadness, but of something she couldn't comprehend. Something she couldn't put two and two together in.

"Because you're the reason why I left her. It was you."

And with that, he ran off, leaving her alone but even though she was far from the fire, she felt those eyes scorch into her whole body.

_It was you. _

* * *

She found Nigel outside of the Decommissioning Deck, possibly waiting for Numbuh 777 and 86. He sat on the hard bench and she was surprised to see his face flushed.

"Sorry," Was all he said when he acknowledged her presence.

Rachel didn't know what to say. She was too confused, but something inside her felt alive and brimming with confidence, as if telling her to say whatever she felt inside.

She sat beside him. "Nigel, can I tell you something...?"

He looked at her direction, his expression impassive but she could see his held hands shaking a bit and she didn't know why.

"Nigel..." Rachel wrung her hands badly on her lap, all the time feeling like crud for announcing this when so much had happened in his life, but... "I've been meaning to tell you this for a long time...but I didn't know if I was sure about it..."

Even if it took her a couple of minutes or so, she was surprised of his unending patience with her as if he was anticipating whatever she wanted to say as well.

"I...I.." Was she ready to say what she had been feeling for so long? Was it too early?

So she spoke all too quickly because her confidence was wavering. She couldn't even look at him, she had to focus above his head. And then...she said it.

"You're bald."

They both froze at once, staring at each other blankly as the seconds ticked by. Rachel's eyes widened as she comprehended what she had just said and covered her mouth in embarrassment.

She couldn't believe what she just said! She felt like crawling into a hole and die.

Nigel seemed to take this in stride as he looked up and said in mock amazement, "I'm...bald? I didn't notice..."

And then, they laughed. All the stress and problems almost evaporated into thin air as they laughed at such a thing. Carefree and playful.

They were in better spirits when Fanny came out with Amy in tow, looking a bit solemn. Rachel cocked her head to one side.

"Did something happen?"

Fanny sighed and explained the problem. "Da Recommissioner's jammed. Eet may take a few hours ta get eet workin' because da technicians jus' wen' ta bed a while ago. We may hav ta keep 777 ovanight. She's bin a good sport, dat 777. Calm an' all, an' she agreed ta sleep in da security barracks until mornin'."

"What else is new?" Nigel rubbed his head down and pleasantly felt stubble on it. His hair was growing back!

Rachel rubbed her eyes tiredly. It was past her bedtime too. "Other news while we wait?"

"Yeh, Amy 'eres got somethin' ta talk ta ya about," She pointed to Numbuh 411, who was looking at them expectantly.

Amy, now completely confident, took action. "There's something I had overheard while I was detained in Las Vegas. I really don't know what it means, it was something about...a new world order..." The group sat back as she continued. "And, after intense discovery and study, I think I know the secret to the mystery of the missing operatives of Sector Z."

"Go on with it then," Rachel replied excitedly. "Tell us."

Amy took a deep breath. "Way way back before the KND started, adults were looking for a way for them and their children to be on the same page, to be on equal terms so they could stop the fighting. 'For the good of everyone'. I don't know too much, but it concerned a new world order where kids and adults would live in peace. When the KND was created during an intense conflict between the two, a few agents who believed in this cause created Sector Z, where their participants agreed to indulge in experimentation to search for a way to do so. But, as KND grew, so did the agent's desire to bridge peace. They were having too much fun battling adults. That's all I know."

"If that's true, then the experimentation must still be happening, since whatever secret organization is behind your theory, it's still alive. They're still taking the Sector Z members, willing or not, because that was the contract," Rachel narrowed her eyes.

Nigel nodded. "It's impossible for adults and kids to get along. Too many different ideals mixed in. But many questions still remain: What are they experimenting for? How were they able to keep all these operatives vanished and what does this have to do with Numbuh 777?"

"Numbuh 777's used ta be part of Secta' Z. She must've escaped." Fanny added.

Rachel agreed. "They're looking for her to cover up their tracks, alright. If she becomes recommissioned, she could endanger the illuminati's experiment. We must protect her at any cost until we plan another strategy."

Everyone gave their consent and Rachel commanded everyone to get some sleep. Fanny yawned happily at that order.

"Aye! Need some good shut-eye, aye do!" She quipped as she walked with Rachel to the female barracks. Nigel decided to sleep in the male barracks and Amy went home.

A glint hit the corner of Rachel's eye and she turned to the source. Fanny's left hand had a piece of jewelry on it. She gasped in surprise and disgust.

"Fanny!!"

Fanny looked at her. "What?!"

"Fanny! You have a ring! Isn't that...?!" She had seen that ring before. Patton usually wore it under his training gloves. He said that it was to deflect unwanted advances from the other female agents.

The Irish agent quickly covered her hands and glared at her right back, cheeks flushing to match her fiery red hair.

"Aye! Ye don't see me DAT surprised at yer ring, ya hypocrite!"

Transmission Interrupted

* * *

A/N: Once again, sorry for the long wait!!!

Review will get you more chapters, I'm pretty sure!


	8. Vermillion Pt2

A/N: Late again! Drat! Sorry, too busy getting into college, but here it is!

* * *

Transmission Reestablished

Chapter 8: Vermillion Pt 2

"So, what are you doing later on?"

Rachel blinked in confusion at the question. She and Nigel were seated in her Global Command office, sorting out the files that began to pile up ever since she left for Europe. They had then erupted into meaningless conversation meant to help pass the awkward silence of yesterday, where some confessions went rampant.

The blonde commander raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean by 'later', Nigel?" She had become rather pink in the face. It was almost as if he was asking if she was free for a date, something she could never imagine facing in a million years.

Nigel seemed to take no notice of this as he was too busy stuffing a potentially thick manila folder into an already bursting file cabinet. "I mean, when you turn thirteen. You're sticking with the KND, right?"

"I couldn't even if I wanted to. Did you forget that your thirteenth birthday sends you into decommission?" Rachel almost scratched her head in confusion when Nigel responded with a snort.

"No, boss. I meant, are you joining the Teens Next Door in affiliation with the KND," He clarified with a chuckle.

Rachel was silent for a moment. Did she REALLY want to be in the KND all her life? "What about you?" She changed the subject abruptly. She had no answer. "I'm assuming that you're going into TND? Everyone thinks so."

Nigel scowled heavily as he forced the folder into the cabinet, but the force was too great and the cabinet ended up ejecting hundreds of papers from its contents and all over the office. "Aw, fiddle-sticks!!"

The KND commander didn't mind the mess. She was well-used to this sort of thing happening, having going through it herself for two years now. Still, she watched with keen interest as Nigel kicked the cabinet in frustration and ended up banging his big toe in the process.

With a mind of it's own, the cabinet than proceeded to smack open one of it's drawers for a swift collision with Nigel's face as he hopped on one foot; ending with him flailing backwards onto the floor.

Nigel: 1

File Cabinet: 3

Laughing unceremoniously, Rachel heaved off her chair to help the poor leader of Sector V up, who trying to focus his wobbling sight. "Are you alright?"

Their eyes met almost immediately, gray and brown, which caused Rachel to look away, red in the face.

With some help from his companion, Nigel was pushed back to his feet and proceeded to shake the jitters off. "O-of course I'm joining the TND! I'd never pass the chance of leaving the KND just because I turned thirteen! I'll never join forces with the teenagers!"

"Hmm..." Was all Rachel could say when she sat back against her desk, looking up at the glass dome roof and into the starry sky. It was so much easier to say that she'd join TND too, but it wasn't her truthful answer. Nigel seemed to take notice of her lack of affirmation.

"You're joining too, right Rachel?"

Honestly?

"No," She answered finally. "I don't think I would like to join the TND." Nigel began to open his mouth in protest, but she interrupted. "I think I'm way too old to be fighting for candy and whatnot these days. And I refuse to deal with desk work anymore."

"You can't be serious," Nigel protested at once. "Do you want to lose your memories of all your friends?"

"Of course no---"

"Then you want to be a Teen Ninja then?!" Nigel exclaimed vehemently.

"No!" Rachel snapped right back. "I would NEVER join in the cause of causing trouble for kids! You're twisting my words, Numbuh 1---!"

"No, I'm affirming them! You want to be some stupid teenager who obsesses over boy bands and make-up, don't lie to me! You actually WANT to grow up!" Nigel yelled angrily.

"That's just about enough, Nigel Uno!" She slammed her fists against the desk and stood up in full force. "You wanted my opinion and you got it! No, I don't want to be in the TND! No, I will NOT become a Teen Ninja! And no, I don't want to lose the memories of my friends! But guess what, Numbuh 1, everyone grows up someday! No one stays a kid forever and why do you keep fighting it?!"

Nigel gave her the most vile glare he could manage at her and began to stalk out of her office. "Apparently, you lack any devotion in the fight against adult tyranny. Why don't you resign from office and join your stupid teenage friends? Or better yet, hang with Chad from now on!"

He knew he struck a chord in her and he didn't care as he fought the urge to drown himself in the neighboring kiddie pool out of shame. His anger renewed, though, when Rachel gave the last word.

"At least Chad had the courage to grow up! He's twice the man you'll ever be, you stupid little boy!!!"

Nigel never wanted to grow up and confront the fact that he was being undoubtedly selfish in his actions against Rachel. Why couldn't things just stay the same in his life? Same missions, same adventures, same friends.

The same Global Commander.

He refused to believe that he and everyone around him was growing up, whether he wanted to or not.

* * *

Fanny grinned wildly at her work of art. She had finally got the Recommissioning Chamber up and running with new features added in for a smoother operation. Messing with memories was her quota, her life's mission, so to say.

Not in an evil sense, but in a spiritual manner. So caught up in her tomboyish attitude, she can only express her feminine creativity with her work, which involved breaking memories and relinking them as she saw fit.

She knew, in the end, that she would end up a victim of this art like so many before her and she acknowledged that she can't stay from aging into a teen. Patton had reassured her that memories can't be erased no matter how far the links are. The feelings were still there, even a bit subconsciously.

Her best friend, Rachel, dreads decommissioning for but one reason: her friends. She and Fanny lived in opposite ends of the country and when they will forget KND, they'll forget each other.

Patton and Rachel were her true regrets after KND. You could never replace something that burrowed so deep into your heart. Even if they had to succumb to that inevitable fate, they could never really forget each other. It wouldn't be until she had regained adulthood would she realize that feelings can't be broken and rearranged like memories.

Feelings are untamed. Memories are only misplaced records, but the instinct is interchangeable throughout life. It can't be manipulated by force alone.

It seemed like such a pitiless romantic endeavor, but it might be the only thin light of hope for them once they march their final steps into the Decommissioning Chamber. It will be their last fleeting source of comfort while they remained united.

She looked upon the quiet Ex-Operative Numbuh 777 who was dutifully seated in the Recommissioning Pod and wondered if somewhere, deep inside, she could feel the faint whispers of her once fellow operatives somewhere in her heart.

"Aye, Lass. Ye ain't be pullin' a sneak attack on me wit' that false sense o' security, are ye?" Fanny inquired almost menacingly at how suspiciously cooperative 777 was.

Reina only shook her head and voluntarily leaned back on the chair, to acknowledge her ultimate cooperation.

Fanny then called up Nigel and Rachel through the KND intercom, hoping they'd hurry up so they could get some solid answers to this violent mystery. She wouldn't dare contact Amy, she did all she could. Now she deserved rest.

It confused the Irish girl when Rachel appeared first after five minutes, Nigel-less. And two minutes after that, Nigel appeared and silently took a spot opposite of Rachel. There was a tense silence in the room. Even Reina peered interestedly at these turn of events.

Fanny hesitantly turned to Rachel and saluted her. "Aye, sir. The Recommission sequence is underway."

"Start it up, Numbuh 86," Rachel answered almost tensely. Fanny scratched her head.

"Uh...did somethin' happen, Commander?"

"Just start the darn thing already! We're wasting valuable time!" Nigel interjected bitterly.

Bad move.

Rachel glared heatedly at the lone boy. "Don't you yell at her, Numbuh 1! I won't tolerate it!"

"Yeah, you seem to not tolerate a LOT of things these days, haven't you?" Nigel quipped viciously. "Can't tolerate me, can't tolerate the KND or the TND. But you can tolerate _Chad, _well done! You deserve a round of applause for your superb acting skills!"

"Get a life, you adrenaline junky! It always have to be YOUR way! Mission's this, jobs that, 'My way or the highway', that's your motto!" Rachel defended with a growl. "But when someone has an opinion that contradicts yours, you go all caveman and then insult me! Well, I've had it with your childish attitude, Numbuh 1! If you don't keep your mouth shut in the next five minutes, I'm personally kicking you off this case, got it?!"

Nigel wisely became quiet, but he turned away into another corner so he didn't have to look at Rachel's face. Something that she was grateful for. Anymore lip and she felt the desire of breaking those sunglasses of his in half.

While Fanny blinked in sheer amazement at the scene, Reina almost looked like she was beaming quite pleasantly, looking from the blond to the boy in absolute interest.

"Start the device, Numbuh 86," Rachel repeated firmly, pinching the bridge of her nose as she felt a migraine coming on. "Lets begin."

Fanny nodded and turned to Reina, who was strangely still beaming. "Aye, Miss 777. Jus' relax while I start. Eet won't 'urt at all."

The Ex-Operative only shrugged pleasantly when the glass portion of the pod closed on her and Fanny flipped the switch, starting the machine.

* * *

"Is she alright?" A female echo occurred. Reina could feel someone waving a hand across her eyes, but she could only see black.

"Aye, Lass! Can ye hear me?" Another female echo announced, a bit loudly than the last one.

Slowly, focus returned and the sight became sharper and two girls were hovering over 777, worried and curious.

Rachel patted 777's head. "Miss Reina?"

"Yeah?" Was the only answer they got back. Reina could see Nigel hovering only slightly behind the two girls, quite interested.

"What is your KND Numbuh, Miss Reina?" Rachel asked a bit hurriedly, hoping to get the answer she was looking for.

"Numbuh? Numbuh..." Reina was trying to recall some fact in her head and it came alive slowly. "7..7..7?"

Rachel clapped her hands in a mini cheer. "Good, good, Numbuh 777! Do you remember the KND?"

Her answer shocked them. "What?"

Nigel clicked his tongue impatiently. "The Kids Next Door?"

"No. I don't." Reina answered.

The three operatives stared at each other in bewilderment. Didn't it work?

"You don't remember your childhood involving the Kids Next Door?" Rachel retried valiantly. "Missions...? Parties...? Adult tyranny...?"

Reina shook her head to all four, looking quite confused. "Adult tyranny? What the hell?"

Stepping back, Rachel and Nigel stared at Fanny. Rachel looked at her sympathetically, but Nigel glared at her like it was her fault.

"Aye! Eet works, ye stoopid boy!" Fanny defended hotly. "The procedure wen' as planned! Everythin' was normal! Eet works perfectly!"

"Maybe its because of the fact that 777 was decommissioned with the Decommissioning Chamber back in her time; when the technology was different," Rachel pacified the situation fluently. "We have been upgrading our systems yearly."

"Then stick her back into the Recommissioning Pod again," Nigel replied. "Maybe she needs another jolt."

Fanny slapped her head in exhaustion. Never let a regular operative decide on a special device. "Stoopid! Ye'll damage 'er if ye do dat again! Ye might screw up 'er memories dat way! Do ye want ta be responsible for dat?!"

Nigel narrowed his eyes. "Then, what do you think we should do about it, huh?! This adult is the most important link to the missing operatives of Sector Z!"

"Sector Z?" Reina looked up from rubbing her head. "I remember Sector Z."

The room was silent, three quarters of the group was trying to let it sink in. She remembers Sector Z...?

She remembers Sector Z!!!

Reina jumped as Rachel and Nigel practically threw themselves upon her, Rachel being the fastest.

"What do you remember about Sector Z, Numbuh 777?" Rachel demanded excitedly.

The former operated racked her brains and when it became as clear as day, she let her memories pool out of her mouth. "I remember them. Numbuh 458—that was Jericho. He loved soccer, but secretly, he dreamed of owning a plant nursery when he grew up. But everyone laughed at him because he loved flowers. Numbuh 202 was Anya. She could speak five different languages, but hardly any English. She's very clumsy when we went ice skating. Numbuh 823...his name was Tobias. He was a basketball junky and he incessantly talked about games. He has the entire Batman comic book collection. And then...there was..." She tried to conjure up the team leader's name and Numbuh but couldn't. It was on the tip of her tongue and it wouldn't come out.

"Numbuh...666?" Rachel helped out gently. She knew all there was to know about the 13th Sector Z and knew of the sacrifice he had made for 777.

"Yeah, 666." It was coming to her like a waterfall now. "Zephyr was his name. I remember because he hated the name his parents gave him and he changed it. His real name was Todd. He always looked out for me because I was the youngest in the group. He called me Kitten!" They could see her eyes lit up brightly. "Because Mom forced me into that handmade cat costume every Halloween! He loved art. He can sculpt anything! His Dad taught him how to forge metal too, because his family had a jewelry business and wanted Zephyr to take over the business when he got older. But he..."

It dawned on them to what she was about to say and 777 said it quietly, almost hesitantly.

"He never came home. Neither did Tobias, Jericho or Anya. Because...they—we were kidnapped. We kept getting threats...Zephyr demanded his superiors to temporarily suspend Sector Z, but they didn't listen. We were taken from our beds at night," Reina sat back somberly as she retold the lost memory. "I woke up in a pod. I was so scared, I cried for my Mom endlessly and tried to break free. My pod was connected to Zephyr's through a plate of glass. He told me not to cry."

Reina looked up as she recalled the fear she felt and the reassurance of her leader. "I saw the others too. Anya cried the worst. Tobias never moved in his pod. I thought he was dead. Jericho kept throwing himself against the pod until he was bruised and weak. I remember Zephyr trying to console us but it didn't help. He promised to get me out." She then proceeded to rub her head when a sting of pain shot through it.

"Then I saw someone coming into the room," She continued blankly. "I couldn't see his face, but he wore a doctor's coat. Anya thought that he could save us because she thought he was a doctor. She begged to let her out. He was laughing at her and I got so mad, I screamed as loud as I could. I wanted to get that guy mad enough to let us go. It didn't work. He continued to laugh..." She clutched her head bitterly as she recalled that twisted chuckle. "That terrible laugh! He said that we were the thirteenth specimens for an ongoing experiment."

"What kind of experiment?" Rachel inquired quietly.

Reina looked up, her hands falling away from clutching her head and snarled. "Ultimate Submission. He told us we were in the new and improved Delightfulization Chamber, used to turn naughty kids into well-behaved children. He said that we were the next lab rats to the experiment and that we would never see our families again because of it. It was a nightmare. It was hell. He was going to transform us into these...beings with no freewill. He planned on stealing our humanity, to become some type of mechanic slave with no chance of individual thought. He wanted to kill us, without actually performing it. He wanted us conscious-less, robots, monsters."

When she met even more silence, she finished. "He was starting it up. We begged, cried, screamed, yelled, but nothing would reach that mad man's ears. Zephyr began to throw his body against the pod like Jericho did, but he aimed solely on the glass door between us. That was when electricity began to strike against the glass and Zephyr was shocked in the process. Then, the electricity began to turn into a sort of greenish liquid and it was going to drown us in the pods."

"But Zephyr refused to give up and he managed to bust the glass wall open with the force of his kick, causing the machine to malfunction. But, it came with a heavy price. My...pod was a little higher than his, so when he broke the door open, all the liquid from my pod poured into his and he was soon submerged with all our other friends..." Tears began to fall from her eyes and in shame, she covered her face with her hands. "I don't know why he did such a thing! Why?!"

Rachel covered her mouth in anguish over the tale and Fanny turned away in an attempt to be tough, tears threatening to fall from her eyes.

Nigel watched quite melancholic at the scene. He knew deep inside that Numbuh 666 could have easily broken through on his own and have saved himself. But, he cared for 777 so much, he sacrificed himself for her; saved her life.

He looked at the trembling Rachel and understood 666's sacrifice. He'd do the same, every time.

"B-because the machine malfunctioned, the pod door broke open and I jumped out and forced the scientist into a broom closet and proceeded to free my friends. But it was too late, they drowned in the liquid. Their bodies still alive, but their minds were dead," Reina voice began to shudder violently. "Z-zephyr...he-he was still alive...and I t-tried to break his p-pod open, but it w-wouldn't budge! He only g-g-grinned at me a-and mouthed me to run—but, I couldn't l-leave him! He drowned a few s-seconds later---!"

Nigel looked on sympathetically as Rachel was as pale as a sheet, Fanny had resorted to hiding in a corner, sniffling as inconspicuously as possible.

Tears began to fall from 777's face and she hid it with her hand, clearly upset. "I stayed by the pods with what seemed like hours before someone from KND took me home and then after transferring me to another Sector, I lived out my childhood in Sector Q until decommissioning. That's all I remember."

"Someone from KND found you?" Nigel asked. "Do you remember who?"

Reina shook her head. "He just said that he was from KND and that it was his mission to send me home safely."

After Reina was sent to the infirmary to calm down, Fanny proceeded to question their next move.

"Now what, sir?"

Rachel rubbed her eyes tiredly. They were red and puffy from all those unshed tears. She turned to look at Nigel for some reassurance but only received a blank look of indifference and a twist of his neck.

"I don't know." Was her only reply as she sadly turned away and proceeded to her quarters.

* * *

"How are things going?" The mad doctor paced around the Delightfulization Chamber, anxious at the chance for the final climax in his ultimate plan.

Chad looked almost annoyed at the situation, but nevertheless answered. "Numbuh 777 still has the second piece in her possession, if that's what you wanted to know."

"And the other half?"

The blond teen almost seemed hesitant in his response. "Sources claim that...Numbuh 362 has the first piece."

"This Rachel McKenzie?"

"Yes."

"Excellent." The Doctor drew himself up to full height and eagerly snatching the report from his ward's hands, going through the document. "Yes, it is all falling into place!"

"Sir, you've been neglecting a proper response to the Illuminati about your...experimenting. If you don't give word soon, you will find yourself drowning in an eventual investigation in due course," Chad spoke darkly. "They are becoming restless. The Leader's patience is wearing thin as we speak."

The Doctor rearranged his glasses as he looked up at the simpering teen with an almost insane smile. "Well, they shan't need to know of this---right now. Tell them that I personally will meet with them in a few days or so. Everything will be finished by then!"

"And...them...?" Chad nudged his head toward the shadowed figures and they muttered excitedly at being referred to.

"Too stupid to comprehend, but too powerful to give to Father," the Doctor concluded almost ruefully. "An experiment gone awry."

"They are the 13th Sector Z, aren't they..." Chad answered his own question.

"Yeah, so?"

Chad finally asked at last. "What the Hell are you planning?!"

The Doctor seemed to comprehend those words, maybe even contemplating the answer to that question. He finally grinned a fearsome grin.

"Why, Ultimate Submission of course. But, the _keys _to such a concept lies in the very people that fights against the belief. That is why it is important to apprehend Ms. Reina and Ms. Rachel. They don't know that they carry the one thing they are fighting so hard to stop. They have the items used for the ultimate Delightfulization. Able to keep people in obedience FOREVER."

He clapped his hands once almost gleefully. "Well now. You can go inform the moron that his revenge for Nigel Uno shall go underway. And I think that the Kids Next Door had just enough time playing games with my girls. Tell Father to get started in the reclaiming of Numbuh 777."

The Doctor stopped short for but a moment, then added, "Kidnap that Rachel-girl also."

* * *

Rachel was sniffling quietly on the Observation Deck, empty now that the desk job operatives had gone home for dinner. She never had to bother worrying her parents as long as she kept contact with them. They were far too busy for a get together family dinner; it was even more rare to meet up for five minutes.

She had a message from her little brother earlier today; asking if she needed anything from home since she's been on Moonbase for the past week straight. She said no because it was true and she took too much advantage on her brother anyways to think up of something else for him to do.

But Nigel was her biggest problem at the moment. She never felt so disgusted and ashamed anytime in her life and she hated it. She was disgusted by the fact that the leader of Sector V couldn't see past KND for her sake and she was ashamed of the fact that she denied a position out of decommissioning that many operatives would give up their prized Rainbow Monkey for.

Maybe the ulterior reason for giving up TND was because of the fact that her friends would suffer decommissioning without her and she found it unfair. Why _should _she remain an operative when Fanny or Patton weren't given that same chance?

She didn't want, no, she _refused, _to fall for a guy that couldn't grow up. Who _wouldn't _grow up. And yet, there it was. Nigel Uno made her feel safe and warm, something she hadn't felt in a long time...not since Chad.

She had loved Chad, who grew up but became public enemy number one. She was falling for Nigel, who wanted to remain unchanged but still valiant in their quest against adult tyranny.

Neither were in between of what she wanted. She wondered if life was as confusing as it was getting.

Why couldn't Nigel just accept the fact that he was growing up? Why couldn't he respect what she wanted to do with her life out of KND?

Maybe, he didn't really care enough for her.

She pulled the ring from her finger and glared at it, hoping that in some way, it would take away her anger and sorrow. It only glinted innocently in the dim lighting.

"I can't believe how stupid I was to believe that Nigel could be...or Chad...! Ugh!" She clenched the ring tightly in her fist, to the point where her hand turned white from the lack of blood flow.

She threw the ring aside. "Well you know what, Lizzie Devine?! Cree?! You can have both of those idiots! I don't want either of them!"

The ring bounced four times across the floor about twenty meters away while Rachel hugged her knees with sheer agitation, tears escaping from anger and sadness.

"I'm through with this _love _business! It's so much easier without it! I refuse to fall for it again!" She growled into her knees. "I HATE love."

* * *

From far down the Observatory did Nigel hid and watched the turn of events. He resolved to apologize when he came across the glinting ring being tossed down the floor like skipping rocks in the lake.

"_I'm through with this love business! It's so much easier without it! I refuse to fall for it again!" She growled into her knees. "I HATE love."_

Nigel sighed. He really made a mess of things. "Ra--" It was then his communicator rang and he swiftly hid to avoid detection. Deciding to apologize later on, he flipped the switch and Numbuh 86's face appeared on the hand-held.

Back to work.

"What is it, Numbuh 86?" Numbuh 1 asked swiftly and to the point. "Another clue from Numbuh 777?"

"Worse," Fanny responded, a bit nervous. "I'm sending it to you now."

Her face fizzed out and was replaced by Father's. "This message is for my stupid nephew, Numbuh 1."

"Father!" Nigel hissed through his teeth.

"We want Numbuh 777, Nigel Uno," Father's message blared out evenly. "If you and your little Global Commander buddy don't arrive with the girl, you'll be sorry!"

"Hah!" Nigel smirked. "Threats don't scare me!"

"If you think I'm just giving out idle threats, think again!" Father replied viciously, as he knew Numbuh 1 better. "That's why I've gone and received a bit of insurance just in case!" The camera switched from Father's face and to his left, where a bound and tied Sector V was seen trying to break out of their bonds.

"Guys?!" Nigel's resolve faltered at the sight. It was all his fault.

"They're not the only ones I've got," Father sneered and to his right, Lizzie was bound to a chair. "I also have your little girlfriend!"

"Lizzie!" Nigel responded, shock evident in his features. He had gotten Lizzie into this too!

The camera returned to Father who only shrugged. "Sorry, Uno. Orders from the top. It is _imperative _that you bring 777 here, or I'm afraid _he _might do something unforgivable to them."

"Who the heck is 'he'?" Nigel demanded but was left with no answer for it was only a message.

"You and your Commander must bring 777 in front of the Paris Hotel and Casino in Vegas," Father said plainly as if they were talking over tea and cake. "There, your friends and girlfriend will be waiting. Don't forget!" The message ended and Nigel slowly broke the hand-held in half.

"You're getting yourself in over your head, Father. I promise you that!"

* * *

Rachel heard a strange buzzing in her pocket and she unfolded herself to pull her handheld out. Fanny was on the other line.

She responded to the call and Fanny's face appeared.

"What's going on, Fanny?"

"Urgent news, sir!" Fanny's serious face propped the Commander into attention. "Fatha' has sent word in through message! Ee wants ye and Numbuh 1 to bring 777 to Las Vegas in exchange for Secta V and Numbuh 1's ex-girlfriend."

Rachel rubbed her face and let out a long sigh. "Drats! Well, we're ready for them anyways. Alright, did you inform Numbuh 1?"

"Yes sir! He's waiting at da loading docks with Numbuh 777. Da plan?"

"We'll take Numbuh 777 as they wanted, but you and Patton are arriving as hidden back-up," Rachel answered professionally. "They're not getting away. We're stopping them right now."

Fanny nodded. "Aye sir! I'll call 'im at da Arctic Base ASAP. Meeting place?"

"Meet us at the Las Vegas airport at eleventy-hundred hours. We'll form a strategy from there."

"Aye sir!" The line went dead.

Rachel stood up surely and proceeded to the loading docks when she came across the ring she threw earlier.

Realizing that now wasn't the time to angst, she picked it up and proceeded to put it back on when she noticed something peculiar inside the band.

Curious, she examined it more and found a sort of mechanism in the band and discovered a sort of puzzle in the ring. She twisted it to form a sentence on the ring which said:

_For the mind_

She twisted the ring again and formed another sentence in the band that said:

_For the heart_

"Huh..." Rachel scratched her head in confusion, then realized that she had a job to do and fitted it back into her ring finger as she ran towards the loading deck to a waiting Nigel and Reina.

Little did she know how important those words were.

Transmission Interrupted

* * *

A/N: Almost done! Wheeee!!!

Reviews are good for the soul!


	9. White Rabbit

A/N: Yes, I know it has been awhile. But I have a life:) Enough excuse as it is! Plus, my inspiration bunny went on vacation for a long period of time.

* * *

Transmission Reestablished

Chapter 9: White Rabbit

The ward of the Illuminati followed the usual, well-walked hallway into the mad doctor's quarters; teeth gritted in annoyance when the said doctor's shrilly laugh echoed the corridor. Something must've gone well with him.

Opening the double metaled doors, he found the doctor hunched over a glass machine, cackling to himself in a typical mad fashion while he fixed up the knobs to his strange invention.

"I take it your invention is fixed up, Dr. Frankenstein?" The young teen sarcastically muttered as the doctor straightened himself up at the sound. "Igor informed me of your mad cackling and the thunderstorm outside."

"Ha, ha, little boy," The doctor closed the door to the new and approved pods and took a step back to admire his completed creation. "If you'd like, I'll let you be the first to try the Thought-Illiminator out?"

Looking at the monstrous creation wearily, he straightened his jacket. "My mental power is way too important to be sucked out, thank you very much. Any who, I was sent by Father to inform you of his latest report. Numbuh 1 and 362 are arriving at the drop off with 777. But there is a problem. No doubt they'll have reinforcements hidden."

"Well, you'll be there to take care of that, won't you, boy?" The doctor sneered. "But while you have your fun with the children, remember the initial plan between us. Let's make a professional impression to the kids, shall we?"

"Whatever." The ward stepped back and turned to find himself face to face with one of the shadowed figures whose whisper was pleading and vacant.

"777? Want...see...her..." The boy looked at the collar of his jacket that was being grasped by the broken being.

The ward smiled, almost in pity. "Soon enough." He broke the figure's hold and proceeded to leave, the doctor's words following his wake, almost hauntingly.

"Oh, and my boy, tell Father that our contract is over."

* * *

It was almost like those police movies, Rachel thought to herself as she walked side by side with Nigel, the infamous 777 in the middle of them like a prisoner.

Reina succumbed to their pleas to use her to save Nigel's comrades without distinction and was quietly situated with no argument, her own personal demons ravaging her mind with every memory returned to her.

They had reached the multiplex of McCarran Airport where they found the place to be the most busy, people pushing and shoving amongst themselves to either surrender themselves to the self-proclaimed City of Sin, or to escape it; their fortune's ruined and body diseased from gambling addictions and the overuse of carnal pleasures.

Why Father decided to choose this place for the exchange, Nigel did not know. However, due to the fleshy traffic coming in and out of the multiplex, it would be hard for reinforcements to intervene if the transaction turns sour. The same could be said for Father's side.

"We could never understand each other. Children and adults..." Rachel looked at Reina with a questioned look at her words. Reina faced her with a grim smile. "The age gap is too big---with what this organization is trying to do, uniting us. We have too much of a different priority from each other, or demand too much from each other."

Rachel averted her eyes when they came upon Nigel and looked somewhere else, pretending to observe the current situation. "Is it wrong, Reina? For wanting to grow up someday...?"

"Aging is inevitable," Reina wisely commented. "To be depended on, to be reassured of your place in an ever changing world through maturity, is what is needed to survive. It is the common epiphany of man. Besides," Reina gave a very subtle wink. "Girls mature more quickly than boys do. It's just a matter of waiting for them to give up those action figures and pick up that diploma."

The commander merely nodded, sinking in those words. Reina was right in every possible way. Everyone grew up eventually. It'll be quite soon when her and all her friends entered the beginning stages of maturity. That much was true. She wouldn't be alone.

The occasional glances toward Nigel got his attention and he met them with a tentative smirk, brimming with apologies from the seceding storm-like eyes. He was quietly asking for forgiveness and she met him head on with the most sweetest smile she could muster under the heat of a mission.

And then, it went downhill.

There was a huge crowd of people gushing forth, effectively forcing the three to break ranks. Reina had managed to clutch Rachel's back-swinging arm before she toppled from a larger man, too preoccupied with his plane ticket than the pathway ahead of him.

Nigel panicked, believing that the three seconds of separation was what Father wanted in the first place.

Without common courtesy, he slammed back and forth against the onslaught of angry adults, not caring if it was a rather unprofessional way of handling it. He called out the girls' names, hoping for a response.

But, as with all the karma in the world, he ended up calling himself out as bait to Father and the Teen Ninjas---minus Chad.

"Well, well, Nigel Uno," Father rubbed his chin thoughtfully as the Teen Ninjas, disguised as regular teens to avoid security, circled the commander of Sector V. "I didn't expect someone in their prime as a KND leader would allow for such a messy transaction. I expected better from you, nephew."

"Like I'm gonna believe that you hadn't planned this from the beginning, Uncle Benedict!" Father hissed at the name that Nigel boldly uttered. Cree and Maurice snickered, causing Father to yell at them.

"Shut up! Act your age, brats!" This caused the two to falter, Cree looked positively embarrassed and Maurice still had the tell-tale grin.

Nigel's expression became serious. "Where's my team and Lizzie, Uncle?!"

"Not so fast, boy!" Father snapped his fingers and the Teen Ninja lackeys brought forward the tied up crew of Sector V, with Lizzie in tow. "Hand over Numbuh 777 first!"

"I'm not going to believe that either!" Nigel growled. "You probably have them already."

"I do not!" Father defended hotly.

"Do too!" Nigel snarled, though, he could see Fanny and the newly recruited Patton knocking out the teen lackeys and proceeding to untie the KND captives.

"Who are you working for, Father?!" Nigel had to know who was pulling their strings. "What do you get out of it?!"

Father sneered, a malevolent smile plaguing around his trademark pipe. "Why, more Delightful Children, of course!" He grunted at the lack of surprise on his nephew's face. "I see you've figured out the plan. To turn naughty spawns into well-behaved children! Numbuh 777, with her strong will, has the ultimate key to fulfilling that dream! Imagine it, parents would be lining up for miles to straighten their twisted offspring to their dream children! Wouldn't that be exciting?!"

"I think it's utterly revolting," Nigel glared indignantly. "You want a bunch of mindless robots to live their lives not of their own choosing?! Even if we can't stop you, other sane people will! That includes the adults! Numbuh 777 would never help you with it ever!"

There was an awkward silence as it dawned on them that neither had the key to the arrangement and they blurted out in unison: "Then who has them?!"

All of a sudden, there was a great winding sound penetrating from outside of the airport, causing many of the participants to shriek and cover their ears from the clopping sound.

"Is that a helicopter over there?!" Maurice pointed beyond the glass doors leading to the runway.

"Nigel!" Lizzie screamed, being held back by Sector V.

Without a second thought, Nigel ran towards the metal monstrosity, fear becoming stone in his gut.

* * *

Rachel indignantly pulled Ex-Numbuh 777 through another malevolent wave of ignorant adults, being shoved here and there without any knowledge of the direction in front of her.

"Omph!!" She was shoved forcefully against Reina and they both toppled onto the dirtied, cold marble floor. This was utterly ridiculous.

"Are you alright, Numbuh 362?" Reina hurriedly pulled the winded commander to her feet before she was attacked by hurried heels of the oblivious crowd.

By the time they managed to separate themselves from the huge crowd effectively, they were both equally agitated and exhausted from being pushed around.

Rachel leaned against one of the glass doors to catch her breath. "I need a vacation."

"Don't need to tell me twice, kid." Reina sat pacifically on the floor and stretched her arms. She then gave a rather subtle wink. "Nice ring."

The blond commander lifted her hand unconsciously to show 777 the ring more clearly. "Thanks...your's too---"

Rachel blinked as she stared at Reina's left hand, which held a silver band with a twisted indention on it. That ring...

She looked from her ring to Reina's in utter shock. They...

Numbuh 362 had then leaned back too much on the glass door, causing it to open and she crashed backwards.

They...were the same ring.

Wondering why she wasn't smack-dabbed onto the pavement entranced her and she opened her clenched eyelids to see what obstruction kept her from smashing her head open. She stared up in astounded disbelief as a cleanly sheen of blond hair flooded her sight.

Her heart dropped to her stomach. It was Chad that had caught her.

"Time to get going, child-commander," Chad's arrogant grin widened as he hoisted her on to her feet, trapping her arms behind her. "Destiny awaits you."

By the time Reina spilled out of the moving glass doors to aid the commander, Chad had already successfully held Rachel captive. "Unless you don't want something bad to happen, follow us without a fuss, Ex-Numbuh 777," He then added the last part in malice. "666 is waiting for you beyond the glass."

Knowing the double meaning, Reina began to tremble in anger and despite Rachel's pleas to run, she walked forward.

"You're taking us to him...aren't you..?" Rachel's eyes widened at the former operative's words.

"Among those orders, yes," Chad snapped his fingers and the whirring sound of a helicopter attacked their eardrums. A ladder dropped next to Chad from the flying machine. He mockingly gestured to Reina like a royal. "After you, legendary Numbuh 777."

The dark haired woman gave a gentle hiss of anger before succumbing to Chad's demands and climbed up the ladder.

"Chad! Please stop this!" Rachel pleaded with him as he securely fastened her to him and clutched the ladder with his free hand. "Do you have any understanding of what you are going to do?! Just because you're a teenager doesn't mean you have to hate us!"

She was only met with a gentle shake of his head and he faced her, blue eyes dark with something Rachel couldn't figure out. His further words to her was soft, but even amongst the overbearing sound of the helicopter she could hear him."I never hated you, Rachel McKenzie...only children..." His head gestured to Nigel's profile running towards them. "Children like him."

"Numbuh 777! Rachel..!!!" Nigel yelled, but missed the last step of the ladder as the helicopter mounted up. "Give her back, traitor!!!!"

"I don't take orders from childish nonsense, Nigel Uno!" Chad jeered back, unaffected by Rachel's futile struggles. "It's time to own up and step up to this predicament as a man and not as a petulant child. Face it, boy." His malevolent sneer caused Nigel to visibly shake in anger. "You can't save anyone."

By the time that everyone, including Sector V and the Teen Ninja's, arrived, the helicopter was quite up high.

"Chad?!" Cree blinked alongside a gaping Maurice. "What the heck are you doing, Chad?!"

Father shook his fist at the blond menace. "What about our deal, you little traitor?!!!"

Chad gave a howl of a laugh. "Looks like I'm a huge defector of both factions, aren't I?! Sorry, Benedict," The teen's eyes were glowing in an unnatural light. "Orders from the top, you know? You've been officially booted out of the plans under the crime of you being an ineffective moron! You are dismissed!"

"You can't dismiss ME!!!!!" Father's black body began to erupt in a huge flame. "I AM FATHER, YOU INSUFFERABLE BRAT!! HOW DARE YOU DEFY ME!!"

"Numbuh 362!!!!" Nigel bellowed as loud as he could. He couldn't believe it. He failed in protecting them!

As the helicopter began to lift further up into the sky, Chad smiled enigmatically. "How far down the rabbit hole will you go, Uno?"

"Nigel!!!" Rachel screamed, the operatives calling out 'commander' helplessly from the ground below.

"Rachel!!!" Nigel clenched his fists. "Come back!!!"

What was he going to do now? No leads, no idea where he was taking them---

---no hope of rescue.

What could he do? The situation was too big for a twelve year old, too big for KND.

Too big for him.

He could only watch helplessly as the helicopter zoomed away, taking his commander and a traumatized adult to who knows where, knowing that Chad was right.

How was a child like him going to save them? Save anyone else?

"...Nigel...?" Lizzie watched nervously as Nigel's fists began to clench painfully, his entire being shaking.

Abby stepped forward, worry in her features. "It's alright, Numbuh 1. We'll get them back." Despite the encouraging tone, Hoagie and Wally stared each other, disbelief in their eyes. Even Kuki, who clutched her Rainbow Monkey ferociously, understood the gravity of the situation.

Fanny made no comment, the kidnapping of her best friend had left her in shock. Patton could only grasp her shoulder in sympathy.

Everyone jumped when Nigel dropped to his knees and screamed into the direction of the helicopter.

"RACHEL!!!!!!"

Transmission Interrupted

* * *

A/N: Reaching the conclusion!!! Are you ready for it? Yeah, it's a little shorter than the others, so sue me!

Reviews are like a drug to the author. It'll spam the author's inbox, but it feels too good to delete...


	10. Beautiful Tragedy

A/N: Um...it's been a while, hasn't it? Heh...uh, heh. Over a year now, I suppose.

My writing style has changed, obviously, so if I sound quite morose with my writing, let me know...I've been told that my style is too poetic for some people now...which for me, sucks.

* * *

Chapter 10: Beautiful Tragedy

Transmission Reestablished

There was nothing. Nothing to be had. Nothing alive. The moment seemed forever for him, watching the scene of his Commander...no, the girl who meant a lot to him, ripped from the safety of the KND and sent somewhere nightmarish, a place where the infamous members of Sector Z most likely disappeared to, where the inevitable happened.

Nigel sat in utmost dejection aboard Sector NV's buggy, the amount of individual failure riding his senses, his mind and body. He failed his mission. He failed it badly.

His team tried consoling him, but to no avail. Lizzie would not look at him, for her individual pain for him was more personal than what transpired a few hours ago.

But, he couldn't remain stuck in a rut over his miscalculation in planning. Whatever, whoever they were had both Rachel and Numbuh 777 within their grasps, pretty much handed to them on a pretty silver platter courtesy of Numbuh 1 himself and he couldn't bear it.

Numbuh 5 and 86 were quietly conversing with each other. Fanny was valiantly trying to give Abby the rundown of the case in few short sentences with Abby listening intently, hanging on every word as diligently as Rachel would. She would have made a brilliant leader if she wasn't so adamant against taking such a position.

Kuki began a one-sided conversation with an unresponsive Lizzie, doing as best as she can to instill peppiness back into the gloomy group but to no avail.

To his right, Hoagie busied himself with keeping Wally from speaking from anything irrational; by keeping him busy helping him with the latest 2x4 technologies. It was something handheld and Wally kept having the mousetrap like mechanism smash against his fingers.

His yelping was the only thing consistent throughout the entire ride.

"What do we do now?" Numbuh 60 asked after a rather awkward silence. "Do we know where that copter was heading?"

Nigel's reply brought the team to a standstill. "What's the use?"

"Excuse me?" Abby raised the cap on her head a little higher, her dark brown eyes widening in disbelief. "Did Numbuh 5 just hear what you said correctly?!"

"You heard me," Numbuh 1 took off his sunglasses and stared at the rumbling floor. Dark circles prevalent around his eyes. "We're in over our heads here. We're dealing with something that's beyond a kid's understanding!" He gripped the dark lens tightly and a warning crack of the frames echoed throughout the vehicle.

Fanny's facial features darkened. "So, that's it?! We're just letting Numbuh 777 and Rachel to those...that monster to get Delightfulized or whatever?!"

"Do you have a better idea, Numbuh 86?" Nigel retorted back, looking up for the first time. "Do you know where they're heading? What the next plan of action we should do now?"

"Mate, it's just like every other mission," Numbuh 4 reasoned much to the surprise of the rest. "We go in, kick some adult butt, and save the Commander! Standard stuff, Numbuh 1---"

"No, it's not 'standard stuff'! It's worse!" Nigel grounded out vehemently causing Wally to slightly cringe by his gaze. "You weren't there...hearing 777's story…how a couple of innocent children were robbed of their free will, their lives! And for all we know..." He broke the glasses in half, debris pieces escaping from his palm. "...Rachel…could already be Delightfulized."

He threw what's left of his trademark glasses against the back seat of the driver, earning a yell from Numbuh 521.

"Knock it off back there!"

"Sod off!" Nigel growled back. Fanny glared at him.

"I'm not leaving her there," The red head said darkly. "I'm not going to sit idly by acting like a mopey baby while she's at the hands of a psycho adult! We're coming up with a plan, Numbuh 1, right now!"

Numbuh 1 glared right back. "And what do you suppose a bunch of kids are going to do? Attack them with silly string? Throw gumballs at them?!"

"Then we form a plan like _adults_!" Abby grabbed Nigel by the shoulders, gave him a good slap on the face and shook him vigorously. "What's wrong with you, Nigel Uno?! The real Numbuh 1 would never ever act like this! Numbuh 1 doesn't fail, he doesn't give up! Get a move on! Form a plan! Scramble the team! Finish the mission, no matter how impossible it is!"

For a second there, Nigel could've sworn Abby's face was replaced with Rachel's at the last second, her soft, melodic voice at the height of urgency and order as she slipped into Commander mode. Something strong was surfacing inside him as he memorized every strand of golden, blonde hair that was shortly framed around her face. Eyes as brown as rich chocolate that darkened when angered and bright when amused.

He shook his head. He never memorized anyone's profile like that, especially over a girl. Never had he reminisced about Lizzie, never felt his stomach flop unsteadily when she smiled at him, nor felt something monstrous trying to claw its way out of his gut when another boy's eyes fell upon her.

Rachel was something more than what Lizzie ever meant to him, and it scared him. Did it mean he like-liked her? Was it deeper than that?

"Rachel?" He stared at Numbuh 5, his eyes glossed over as he was lost in his thoughts. Abby pulled away.

"Yeah, Numbuh 362. We can't let her down! She's our Commander, she's counting on us!"

A small snicker drowned out the last bit of Numbuh 5's motivational speech. Everyone turned to find Lizzie with her back to them, her shoulders shaking with unconcealed laughter.

"Nigel is right!" Lizzie choked through her laughter and tears. "Why don't we leave that boy-stealing witch to her fate?!"

Numbuh 86 jumped up to her feet, with Numbuh 60 following suit to stop her from unleashing her trademark wrath. "Shut yer trap, ye dun know nothin' abou' her!"

Lizzie grinned a rather pathetic smile and she turned to stare down at Nigel, who looked back with something akin to disbelief on his face. "First he breaks up with me so he can try and be with her---"

"---That's not true!" Nigel exclaimed bleakly.

"---And then, some coo-coo bananas stuff happens and his new little 'girlfriend' gets kidnapped and now all he does is mope!" Lizzie finished darkly, her grin turning into a sneer. "What happened, _Nigie_...? Whenever _I_ got kidnapped, you'd go after me blazing with weapons without thought. Is she not that important to you now that you won't even consider saving her? What was the point in leaving me for her when you don't even care about her--?"

"Enough!" Nigel yelled angrily, standing to cut between the fuming Fanny and Lizzie's visual range from each other. "I'm not going to let her down, so sit down, shut up and Numbuh 2, hand me the updated N.A.V.I.G.A.T.O.R.!"

(Computer: Kids Next Door N.A.V.I.G.A.T.O.R.- New Aviation Visual Information Able To Origin Ranks)

Numbuh 1 snatched up the 2x4 handheld that Hoagie and Wally were tinkering with earlier and pulled out the KND Book from Rachel's abandoned bag.

Kuki blinked and continued to stare at the pigtailed girl, who returned to her original position of her seat, away from the rest and her face concealed. And for a brief moment in time, she felt the pangs of rational thought seep into her consciousness and her smiling face sporadically became calculating and serious. Did Lizzie…? Was she trying to coax Nigel into saving her Commander?

"Eh? Numbuh 3…?" Kuki's expression changed into surprise when Wally addressed her. She slowly turned to face him, her eyes alight and open.

Wally scratched his head. "Oi, what's up with you? I've never seen you look so…serious before." Kuki blinked again at his next words. "It's kinda freaking me out…"

It really didn't. It actually made her look kind of pretty to Numbuh 4. It reminded him of her graceful, yet calculating mother. But, it didn't suit Kuki. Not at all.

The hairs on the back of his head ceased when her expression returned to normal and a cheerful smile graced her face once more.

"Numbuh 4! Were you worried for me?! How cuuuutttteee!!" She giggled into her overgrown sleeves. Wally felt himself turn red.

"I was not!" He huffed and turned away. "I don't care about dumb girls!"

Kuki continued to giggle until she was shushed by Numbuh 5.

"Do I smell a plan forming in your bald head, Numbuh 1?" Numbuh 5 smirked as Nigel flipped through pages of the KND Book with a purpose until he found what he desired, ran his finger down the page and stopped short halfway down the middle. He flipped the mousetrap phone open. A rather angered groan issued from Wally, insinuating that the reason for his prior suffering was due to him opening the device the wrong way.

"We need to plan like adults, right?" Numbuh 1 repeated as he started pressing the multicolored buttons on the handheld. "This device is capable of reaching anyone in the KND...kind of like a cell phone for teenagers. Numbuh 362's earphone should react to the call enough for her...or someone, to answer. Once the call's been connected, the N.A.V.I.G.A.T.O.R. will pick up the signal and track her positioning on a global scale."

His team looked at each other and smirked. Numbuh 1's back in action.

* * *

"...achel"

She groaned from the sound, wanting to sleep some more.

"Rachel..."

Opening her eyes slightly, her vision was blurred and her mouth was as dry as a mummy's. As soon as she gained control of her environment, she began to panic when she couldn't stretch her legs.

Her breath shuttered as she observed herself looking through a glass panel surrounding her and she felt an upcoming bout of claustrophobia as she slapped her hands against the glass madly, frantically trying to figure where she was.

She was in a glass pod.

Feeling around, she could only manage to keep her knees up and curl in a fetal position to alleviate the feeling of claustrophobia. Testing out the three by three feet egg pod, the best she could do to fill up the pod would be from her slightly stretching her bended legs to the middle of her back.

Taking deep breaths, she mentally called upon her expert espionage skills and quieted her frantic mind. Now was not the time to panic. She needed to understand where she was and where Numbuh 777 was being held.

With a bit of difficulty, she managed to maneuver herself around, so she was on her knees, pressing against the semi-foggy glass to look around.

The place seemed to look like a dimly lit lab, with few overhead lights flickering periodically. She saw tables filled with debris of mechanical objects and multicolored beakers of bubbling liquid. It was almost like something off of a science fiction movie.

Someone called her before while she was out of it. She was sure of it.

Closing her eyes, she rummaged through her hazy memories, figuring out what caused her to be put into such a predicament in the first place.

She remembered being captured by Chad alongside 777 on a helicopter, away from Nigel and the rest of the KND. She remembered being brought up in the helicopter and struggled when Chad covered her mouth with a foul smelling cloth before she went out cold.

"Rachel...?"

The sound came from behind her. She turned around and peered through the glass. A familiar young woman was tied to a chair, her brown eyes staring at her with resoluteness and terror at the same time.

"Numbuh 777?" She pressed her forehead against the glass for a better look. It was indeed her.

"Don't panic," Numbuh 777 muttered quietly. "You're in a Delightfulization Pod."

Rachel's heart sped up at those last words. She tried to keep her breath drawn out, but it kept stuttering as panic settled in. She remembered the horrifying tale of the monstrous machine that drowned many children from Sector Z. Destroyed their hearts and minds and leaving their bodies alive like empty husks…waiting to be manipulated into ultimate submission. She was in one and the thought scared her to the point of shaking as she conjured the notion that she was meeting her mortality so early in life. "...am I...? Am I gonna die...?"

Reina looked away, her mouth forming into a thin line. "Not your body."

She let out a terrified breath as those words sank in. Her shortened breath became muddled.

"Breathe, Numbuh 362, breathe!" Reina exclaimed in alarm, only to find Rachel raise her head and a calm expression lit her face alight.

Numbuh 777 watched in awe as Rachel pushed herself off the glass and rested her back against the opposite glass, calmly sitting. The blonde Commander gave the Ex-Numbuh a reassuring smile.

"I'm okay."

"Wha?" Was the only answer that left Reina's lips at the scene. Rachel was so...calm and collected. "Aren't you scared?"

Rachel tilted her head down a bit and her smile dimmed a bit which looked like a wistful smile. "I believe in _him_."

"You do, huh?" A gruff voice echoed from across the room alongside the beeping. Both females stared at the darkest part of the lab. It was followed by a cruel, melodic laugh that filled the room with a foreboding terror.

The figure stepped out of the shadows and both girls recoiled at the sight.

It was as if a child's head was superimposed on an old man's body. He was hunched over and covered in a long white lab coat, liver spots invading every open part of his body. His head looked exactly like a ten year old boy, sandy blond hair and all, which was entrapped in a glass contraption.

He grinned at the looks of horror on their faces and stepped forward toward them, causing them to unconsciously scoot back in alarm.

"Ah, Numbuh 777. We have met before." The doctor grinned. Reina's look of terror transformed into one of utmost hatred. "You escaped from me once. I assure you this will not be a repeat."

He turned to Rachel. "Enjoying my humble accommodations, Former Lead Espionage Agent, Supreme Leader Numbuh 362?" He came close to the glass and tapped it eagerly. "Or should we refrain from the formalities, my dear Rachel McKenzie?"

Rachel responded by kicking the glass to where the doctor's face was reflected from. He let out short snicker.

"What do you hope to achieve from all this?!" Rachel demanded. "Let me out this instant!"

"Achieve?" the doctor echoed. "Why, my greatest creation of course! The ability to transform terrible, noisy brats into well-mannered little adults! It's been years since I performed the Delightfulization...far too long..."

He pulled off the covers over the mechanism where more empty pods appeared, surrounded by a monstrous machine with a large tube filled with a glowing, green liquid.

"Behold the fruit of my labors, my young ladies! The almost complete Pro-Delightfulization Machine!" the doctor beamed at the controls. "But of course," his eyes glanced expectantly at Rachel. "The party won't start without our Guest of Honor..."

Almost as if by fate a familiar beeping echoed throughout the room. The sound of an incoming call. Rachel's ears pricked up at once.

Her earpiece!

The doctor snickered some more and withdrew something from his pocket. The beeping became louder.

"Well, well...right on schedule." He pressed the side button of the earpiece and the call went on speaker.

"Rachel? Rachel?! Is anyone listening?" A familiar voice piped up on the piece. The doctor silently pressed the piece against the glass.

Rachel glared at the gesture, but answered. "Nigel? Nigel!" Her voice was very much muffled by the glass, so her yelling was reduced to a dull roar.

Nigel answered almost at once. "Are you alright? Where are you?!"

Before she opened her mouth to answer, the doctor withdrew the piece and carefully placed it against the glass of his own head-case. "Come and play, Nigel Uno. The game is just about to begin...!"

"I swear to Zero, if you harm either of them...!" Numbuh 1's growl blared against the static.

"You'll need to drop by and find out, Uno. Time to throw off the trading cards and put on some big boy pants, now," the doctor sneered into the piece. "Come alone and face your destiny like a _man_."

Numbuh 777 stared resolutely at Rachel trapped in defeat in the pod. She will not risk another child's life. She broke her silence. She could not take this anymore. "Numbuh 1! Memorize these words! Twist opposite from the left! For the mind, in itself, pause, counter-twist, for the heart, in control!"

"Silence, brat!" the doctor snarled, dropping the piece onto the ground and stomped on it, breaking it cleanly in pieces.

* * *

The line went dead as Numbuh 1 thought it would. He tossed the handheld at Numbuh 60, who deftly caught it. "Trace it."

Patton opened his mouth to say something but the look in the Sector V Commander's darkened gray eyes snapped his body to attention and saluted. "Yes sir!" He pulled Numbuh 2 aside and went to work.

Numbuh 86 saw the look too. It reminded her of her father when she was accosted by a stranger with candy and almost followed him into his car foolishly. Her foot halfway into the front seat and she remembered being grabbed roughly from behind and into her father's protective arms with the stranger bleeding from his nose on the sidewalk. A look of animalistic alarm and a stern look in his eyes fierce enough to scare her into heeding his words from then on in never to talk to strangers.

Nigel had that look. It would be ironic for him to believe that he still had the mindset of a kid, when he had the potential of being a charismatic adult. If only he saw what Rachel had seen, he may have been stronger, smarter...

She shook her head fervently. She must be out of her mind! It was almost as if she was thinking like an adult...!

Frowning in horror, she turned to bang her head against the vehicle window, which had illicit angered complaints from the two members of Sector NV.

"The lot of you are all nutters!" Numbuh 702, glared from the rear view mirror. "Tell us where to drop you off..._please_?!"

"Got a hold on the coordinates after we traced the call." Hoagie swiveled his 2x4 monitor around to show them the multi-grid map where a red dot was continuously blinking on the left edge of the screen.

Patton pointed at the dot. "Signal's coming from outside the city limits, sir. But after we terraformed the map, we got restricted access for a visual."

"Well duh," Numbuh 704 peered from beyond the front seat to stare at the map. "That's Area 51...the adult's equivalent to the KND Arctic Base. At least, that's what Numbuh 701 managed to dig out. Testing weapons is only a cover-up. But we know better..." He grinned. "...it has something to do with _aliens_...!"

Half of the team erupted in laughter.

"Ha!" Numbuh 4 yelped. "Aliens my Yippee Cards! Who's the nutter now?!" He laughed alongside Numbuh 2.

Hoagie wiped a tear from his eye. "The day _we_ see that being the case would be a day of great _discovery_! Get it? _Disk_-overy?! Flying saucer?!"

The entire buggy groaned in unison.

"How do I reach Area 51 if it's closed off?" Nigel asked as he checked over his weapons, preferably weighing his options between using the D.A.R.T. as a more effective firearm, or the S.P.L.O.R.C.K. for a quieter weapon for a sneak attack.

Numbuh 702 made a quick left before he answered. "Numbuh 705 and I managed to build a tunnel that runs underneath the base from the outskirts of the nearby desert. For scientific purposes, of course," He grinned sheepishly at Fanny's glare, knowing that they opened up an unauthorized tunnel without Moonbase knowing. "It'll be about a few minutes to hit the rendezvous point, but after that, you're on your own."

"What do you mean, _I_? What about the rest of us?" Numbuh 5 demanded. "You can't do this alone!"

Nigel promptly dumped the D.A.R.T. in the rubbish pile. He was always the 'direct approach' kind of man through and through.

(Computer: Kids Next Door- D.A.R.T. (Dairy Accelerated Rocket Thingy))

"This is my battle, Numbuh 5," Numbuh 1 sternly responded. "I can't let anymore of my friends be in danger. The lot of you should go back to Headquarters for back up."

"We're a team!" Numbuh 4 countered. "We should do this together!"

The buggy ended at a complete stop and Nigel opened the back doors with loud protests behind him as he jumped onto the dry red dirt of the desert.

Numbuh 702 got out of the buggy and pointed past a large ditch, where a suspicious looking dirt hole was concealed by bushes.

"Through there is where the tunnel is. It'll lead directly underneath Area 51 until you reach the end of the tunnel where it leads into the sewer drains. You can get in from there."

"Thanks, Numbuh 702." Numbuh 1 affirmed and turned to face the looks of utter disbelief on his teammates' faces.

He smiled, withdrawing an extra pair of sunglasses from his pocket and slipping them on professionally.

"I trust you guys to respect my wishes…lest they become official orders," He shifted the backpack properly. "I'll be fine and I'll get both Numbuh 362 and 777 back…and I'll make sure they never mess with the Kids Next Door…!"

The group stared at Numbuh 1. He knew that they were silently protesting, but they resolutely nodded. They might be kids, but they understood the severity in their leader's desire to do this alone and they believed that he'd return safely. Nigel never broke a promise before.

Numbuh 5 nodded again slightly, a smirk playing on the corners of her lips as she gave him the thumbs up. "Give them something to cry about, Numbuh 1!"

"Yeah! And give those stoopid adults a good kick in the head for me, okay Numbuh 1?" Numbuh 4 hit his fist against the palm of his hand, simulating a punch. Nigel nodded.

"Go for it!" Cheered both Numbuh 2 and 3 as Nigel began to turn away and begin his trek down the dirt road, the N.A.V.I.G.A.T.O.R. at hand.

His friends, his family, his team. They were more precious to him than anything else in this world. He wasn't going to fail them…

…he wasn't going to fail Rachel.

* * *

Numbuh 777 twisted and fought against her binds, trying to find a loose end, a weak spot enough to unravel the whole thing and save Rachel, but to no avail. Chad had done the tying himself and being an ex-elite agent would give him enough merit to make a superb knot. She wasn't surprised in the least.

The doctor was methodically checking between polishing up the controls on the Pod and looking at the clock, obviously waiting for Numbuh 1's eventual rescue of his fellow comrades. Reina knew that the doctor was becoming impatient.

Rachel had a harder time adjusting to the small space more that what she gave credit for. The first twenty minutes had her shuffling around the glass pod, trying to at least gain a comfortable position until finally settling back into the original fetal stance. She was currently unresponsive, her head buried into her hugged knees.

"Hmm…" the doctor turned back to the machine and fiddled with the controls. This infuriated Reina to no end.

"This is ridiculous!" She bellowed out, enough to shake Rachel out of her stupor in surprise and the doctor jolted from polishing a switch. "Let the girl go! You wanted me, right? Well, I'm right here, sitting in this stupid chair! You've got the entire 13th Sector Z, good job! Congrats! Now let her go!"

"No can do," the doctor sneered. "You see, there's more to this than meets the eye, dear Numbuh 777. Much more…" He left it at that and walked off, leaving the former agent seething.

"Numbuh 777?" Rachel's muddled voice echoed softly, causing Reina to acknowledge her.

"What's wrong?"

Rachel looked away, almost embarrassed, but she sucked it in and answered. "You and Numbuh 666...what were you two like back in the Kids Next Door?"

This surprised the dark haired agent. But she understood why she asked. Anything to pass the time, anything to keep her from thinking the worst...anything to keep Rachel from losing hope.

"Let's see..." For once in her time spent captive, she visibly relaxed as she poured deep into her memories long since forgotten since the inevitable decommissioning. Before that fateful night when her best friends disappeared completely from the living world, before the boy who cared for her so deeply destroyed her pod and saved her.

She closed her eyes, smiling at the occasional memory that spurred up. Jericho and her secretly visiting a botanical nursery for his birthday, picking out a rare Snapdragon...laughing when Anya would make fun of the teacher in Swedish...playing basketball with Tobias until their parents drove by to pick them up at the wee hours of the evening.

And then she remembered Zephyr and her memories with him.

"Actually," she began with a small smile. "We were pretty much the same as you and that Numbuh 1 fellow."

Rachel blinked. "Really?"

Reina leaned forward warmly. "Yeah, exactly the same. Both loved the KND deeply...we'd do anything to keep the kids safe..." She looked up at the decadent, dripping ceiling. "But of course...we've had our differences...especially concerning life after KND."

Rachel looked away as her own memories hit her. "Just like me and Nigel..."

Numbuh 777 eyed her slightly before continuing. "The TND contacted us a few months before...the..." She didn't finish the last sentence. She didn't have to. "Anyway, they granted us admission to join. I was ecstatic. I never thought that I'd be picked over thousands of kids to become a double agent for the teens. Zephyr, on the other hand," her smile dimmed a bit. "felt that his future lie without the TND. I was angered and sad at his refusal to join. I felt betrayed...and worse, I felt alone."

Rachel looked away. She didn't want to hear anymore. It was too close to home...too close to the fight between her and Nigel.

"But now that I think about it...I realized that I was being selfish," Reina's smile faded complete and it looked as if she was going to cry. "I wish I could've told him that I was sorry. To tell him that I just didn't want to be left alone. He meant the world to me...he was the best friend I ever had."

The blonde commander turned away and stared ahead, not really seeing anything. All her thoughts and feelings were running through her head, each piece snapping together like a jigsaw.

The reason why Nigel acted the way he did, how he so reacted so negatively when she rejected the idea of joining the Teens Next Door. Was it because he felt the same way Numbuh 777 did?

That would mean...that he...like-liked her?

She bumped her head against the glass, resolved with her discovery. "Nigel..."

"You called?" a familiar British voice echoed from behind her.

Twisting forward so quickly that she rubbed her ankles painfully against the pod, she was face to face with the one boy she hoped to see again.

"Nigel!" Her face lit up so bright with happiness and relief that Nigel rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment. Shaking off the fluttering feeling in his stomach at the sight of her smile, he took hold of the situation and returned to his agent mode.

"Just hang in there, Rachel," He blindly touched everything he saw on the machine, hoping to find a switch that would open up the contraption. "I'll get you out, okay?"

They waited patiently for two minutes before Reina shifted in her seat, huffing impatiently.

"Untie me, Numbuh 1. I think I have an idea on how to open the pods." Reina shuffled briskly, accidentally forcing the knot tighter. "Hurry, before that freak shows up!"

"Who?" Nigel inquired until Rachel knocked on the glass harshly.

"Nevermind who. Hurry, Nigel!"

Nodding quickly, he set to work on the knots behind Numbuh 777. He grunted in agitation as his fingers were temporarily caught between knots. "Jeez, who tied you up? A Boy Scout?"

"You and I both know it's standard protocol to learn the infamous Japanese Hook-Sinker Knot..." A coy, familiar voice taunted from behind the British boy.

"Look out!" Rachel yelled through the glass.

"Wha...?" Nigel turned but was knocked out cold by the force of the blunt end of his D.A.R.T..

That was all he remembered after that moment.

* * *

Numbuh 1 woke up slightly at the sound of tapping on glass and groaned. The back of his head was throbbing painfully and on top of that, a headache was slowly forming. Reaching to rub the now sensitive part of his cranium, he adjusted his eyes.

He was surrounded by glass, pausing in mid-rub to stare in astonishment of his predicament. The tapping resurfaced.

"Nigel," the source of the tapping called softly. "Are you alright?"

He turned to his right and found Rachel in a pod slightly below his, a thin glass plate the only thing connecting to each other.

"Where's Numbuh 777?" Nigel looked around, but didn't see the Ex-Numbuh anywhere.

Rachel let out a deep breath. "Chad took her away. I don't know where she is."

The both of them sat in silence. Both secretly scared, both worried for their fates. With each passing minute, their hope continued to dwindle into nothing.

"I failed, didn't I?" Nigel gritted his teeth in anger. He didn't watch his surroundings and left himself open to a sneak attack. Now, he was as imprisoned as a mouse in a cage. He slammed his fist angrily against the glass.

Rachel wistfully smiled and placed her hand up against the plate. "You came, didn't you? You didn't fail. I'm happy that I can talk to you one last time..."

"Don't say that, Rachel," Nigel reached down to place his hand as well against the plate. If only he could really hold her hand...reassure her that everything was alright. "I'll get us out of here, I promise!"

"You think so?" A voice from far off caused the hair on the back of Nigel's neck to stand on end. "From my end, I just don't see that happening, unfortunately." The doctor stepped out of the shadows and the gruesome sight of his man/child appearance caused Nigel to flinch back in a mixture of alarm and disgust.

"What are you?! Why do you...look like that?!" Nigel demanded angrily, wanting answers, the reason for all this suffering.

"Who am I?" the doctor walked forward, an arrogant purpose in his rickety steps. He stood against the machine and raised his arms out, as if he was a god himself. "I am Numbuh Nonexistent! The greatest Kids Next Door scientist of all time!" He laughed maniacally and dropped his arms in a huff and ran into Nigel's pod with such insanity that Nigel jumped back at the sight. "I am the oldest living Numbuh this world has ever seen! I have seen things that would make your little head explode from the information!"

He rapped on the glass tauntingly and then sauntered over to Rachel's pod, who gave him an equal glare right back. He continued. "Eleventy billion years ago, I was tasked with the power to unite both adults and children alike. 'Stop the fighting,' I was told. 'Do whatever you can so that adults and children can finally work together.'. And so, I heeded their desires, working tirelessly to produce something, anything to appease both parties, but to no avail! It was impossible to make the both of them happy!" His smile twisted into a monstrous sneer. "You brats! The lot of you are all alike! Always worried about ice cream and candy, not knowing how hard I was at work to provide equality for you! I was unappreciated, even laughed at! But the adults! They understood my plight! 'If children were a bit more obedient,' they said, 'then we'd live peacefully for once.'! And so, I created a machine...a machine to make children more delightful to adults...! The Delightfulization Pods!"

"So you go and take away the human rights of children?!" Rachel demanded. "You're a monster! You rob children of their childhoods and force them to become behaved, miniature adults! You call that equality?!"

The doctor's smile dimmed a bit, obviously angry at the statement. "_I'm_ the monster? Your organization causes mischief and trouble for adults and teens alike for the most trivial things and you call _me_ unfair?! Impertinent whelp!" He scratched the glass of her pod, causing her to clap her hands over her ears at the shrill sound. "I've evened the playing field, little girl! I'm giving parents what they want! I'm a hero!"

"Leave her alone, you freak!" Nigel slammed his shoulder against the glass, but to no avail. The pod merely shuttered and stiffened. "Why us?! Why Numbuh 777? Why Sector Z? What are your true plans?!"

The doctor's anger seemed to dissipate at those questions and straightened himself up, as if nothing happened. "Sector Z was in contract to become willing test subjects for experimentation. The code was 'For the good of everyone'. It is still in effect to this day, so long as the scientist in question remained alive..." He pointed at his head-case. "I managed to keep my youth in this box. So long as I remained a child, I am still employed as a KND scientist and the contract remains intact..." Straighting his tie, he proceeded towards a door at the far corner of the lab. "Numbuh 777...? I needed her back to finish what I started. Of course, it's not just to cover up our tracks..."

The door opened and Chad resurfaced, pulling a tied up Numbuh 777 with him. He shoved her onto the ground.

"Numbuh 777!" Both Nigel and Rachel cried in unison. Reina looked up at them in sheer horror.

"What...? What is THIS?!" She twisted violently towards Numbuh Nonexistent, fury and something akin to tears clouded her eyes. "What are you doing?!!"

Nonexistent gave a simple chuckle. "So you understand, now?" He stepped closer to her and grabbed her binds, forcing her onto her knees. "Numbuh 777 stole something precious to me that fateful night five years ago. She was pretty clever too...creating a perfect ploy before her decommissioning, hoping that somehow some brave kids could come and destroy this whole operation. Isn't that right, Reina Valesti?"

"What do you mean?" Rachel inquired.

"Tell her," Nonexistent pulled her hair down, forcing her chin up to look at the trapped preteens. "Tell them everything. The more you tell...the longer it takes before I delightfulize them. Mark my words, I will do it."

Reina growled low in her throat before another bout of hair pulling forced her hand and she finally conceded. "I took the key, dammit! Now stop that!"

"Indeed she did..." He released his hold on 777's hair and turned to open his wrinkled palm to Chad, who wordlessly dropped two platinum bands onto his palm. He then raised the rings up so everyone could see the familiar design glinting slightly from the flickering overhead light.

"Nigel! That's the ring you gave me!" Rachel looked at her hand in reflex, to see that it was indeed gone from her ring finger. She hadn't even noticed that it was missing.

"These rings have an alien alloy never before seen on Earth...the Delightfulization can only be powered by this type of metal. How quaint it was for little Reina here to take it and turn it into cute lovey-dovey rings, believing that I'd never figure it out!" Nonexistent set the two rings on top of each other on his index finger and twisted it. A sound of a small chink echoed throughout the room as if something small locked in place.

"But, how did one of those rings end up with my Grandmother?!" Nigel wondered aloud, confusion etched on his face.

Nonexistent turned dutifully toward Reina. "Indeed. Do tell, my dear..."

The freak of nature was enjoying this. Rachel knew that as she stared at the excited look he was giving their adult companion.

Reina stared angrily for a moment, then stared ahead, as if she was closing off her emotions from the rest of the waking world. "The rings were forged by Zephyr's dad, who was a jeweler. He granted my wishes in honor of his missing son."

She then looked at the floor, a resolute look of determination gracing her features. "I took the rings, but knew that they had to be separated. This...place...still existed and I knew they'd eventually find me. I searched through the KND archives for months, looking for someone special, someone who stood the chance to stop this madness!"

She looked at Nigel, a fire blazing in her eyes. "I found you. I did more research than any Archivist on Moonbase...I searched into the beginning of this era of KND and found that you were related to the infamous Numbuh Zero, who started up the KND and defeated Grandfather. Your mother was Numbuh 999, the first female to ever raise a weapon in the defense of kids in this era, and I knew. I had to give the ring to you."

There was silence all around and she knew that everyone was intently listening. She gave a short sigh and continued. "Before I was decommissioned, I went to England to search for your mother...hoping that I can recommission her for a moment, hand her the ring and go on my way. I came across your grandmother purely by chance at a cafe. We struck up a conversation and, upon discovering that she was your grandmother, gave her the ring as a token of my gratitude for her hospitality. I told her to give it to the one grandchild who may need it most. I knew she would've chose you eventually."

"I kept the other ring with me and used it's foreign alloy to deploy a slight memory erase towards KND agents who were searching for me. This was why you couldn't remember me after that incident in the Warped Tour. I had the ring manipulate the minds of anyone searching for me...except for Numbuh 362," She faced Rachel only to glance at her hand which once held the other ring. "I wasn't expecting Numbuh 1 to forget me, for I thought he had the ring on him. It came to my attention that Numbuh 362 was indeed keeper of the ring now and so I called her to me from the rings, unconsciously knowing I was to be recommissioned one day and deal with this mad doctor and of course, the bloody Splinter Cell."

"Splinter Cell is behind this?!" Nigel and Rachel looked at each other at once. It all made sense now. This is another of Splinter Cell's plots against them.

Nonexistent gave a short, but concise cough which returned all attention back to him. "Now, now. Let us refrain from speaking anymore of that ghastly organization, shall we...?" He focused towards the machine, hunger evident in his eyes.

"These rings," He took the newly formed band from his finger and gazed into it dreamily. "When twisted correctly, will finally start up this beautiful machine...at last!"

Reina jumped up. "Leave them alone!" She tried to headbutt Nonexistent, but was forced back down onto the floor by Chad, who stared at her with an emotionless expression on his face.

"Oh, but Reina, the fun can now begin," He set the rings onto a metal rod, which began to glow with a strange yellow light and at once, the machine began to start up with a mechanical whirl.

The pods began to light up and Rachel sat frozen with terror while Nigel began to slam madly against the glass walls, trying to bust them open.

"Stop it!" Nigel yelled. "Let us out, Chad! This isn't funny! It'll kill us!"

Chad looked away, his expression hadn't changed. He addressed the now cackling doctor.

"Shall I let her go now?" He motioned towards Reina.

Nonexistent didn't acknowledge him, but answered. "Yes, yes! It is time to see if the experiment shall work now and we can't have the girl tied up doing it!"

Chad untied Reina and she at once sprang to her feet, opting to attack the doctor and save the trapped agents. "I won't let you do this!"

But before she could get her hands on Nonexistent, she felt a group of hands grab her from behind in the shadows and she fell backwards, being dragged from behind. She screamed as she stared at the faces of her former comrades.

Their skin was as pale and clammy as death and their eyes were hollowed out and blackened, as if they hadn't slept a wink in years. Anya's once brilliant, flowing red hair was now wild and decadent, contorting around her face, looking like a mad woman. Tobias was nearly skeletal and lightened, his cheekbones unnaturally prominent. Jericho looked the worse off, his hair was nearly grayed over, his green eyes almost faded over in gray.

"G-guys...?" Her voice trembled with fear and sadness, she shook her head. "No! It can't be...! Please!" She shut her eyes as they started to chant her name bleakly, trying to grab every inch of her. "It's not real!" She tried to struggle, only to be held down by their leader.

The one boy who she had been dreaming of for years, now a broken young man, held her in a tight death-like grip that nearly stole her breath and she began to shake in fear.

"Zephyr...? No...!" She gasped out. His brown hair was straggled with gray in them and his black, hardened eyes stared down at her with a lack of expression. He was an empty shell. They all were.

"Enjoying the heartfelt reunion?" Nonexistent turned around, hands behind his back as if he was watching an elegant opera. "Yes, I wonder what would happen...preferably to dear Zephyr, if the both of you relived that moment of that night. You see, the delightfulization process seems to be slipping every time they are reminded of something from the littlest thing. Would there be a higher reaction if they saw little Rachel and Nigel become delightfulized...?" He returned to the key, away from the look of terror Reina procured. "Let's see if I can translate these rings...ah!" He grabbed the top ring, where the engraving resurfaced on the ring, bearing the words,_ For the Heart_. He twisted it 180 degrees to the left and the words, _For the Mind,_ appeared.

"Tut, tut. This won't be so hard, will it, Numbuh 777...?" He chuckled as he twisted the bottom ring. _In Itself_ appeared on the ring and when he turned it just the same as the top, _In Control_.

"Let's see, let's see..." He whispered under his breath. "You've changed the numbers with words, but I think I know how the twists work..." He twisted the rings so the sentence, _For the Heart, In Itself_, formed.

The machine whirred loudly and the main tank began to fill with a bright green liquid. It was warming up steadily and Reina struggled from her captivity while Nigel and Rachel began to try and break free, but to no avail.

"Watch and learn, my pets!" He called to the zombified Sector Z over his shoulder. "Do you remember? Just one more turn...!" He placed his hands against the rings as the machine returned to full power.

"Leave them alone!" Reina yelled desperately.

"Nigel!" Rachel looked up at Numbuh 1, who was just in frozen in terror as she was. They both stared at each other with what seemed like forever, the inevitable belief that right then and there, was the end.

"I'm sorry," Nigel admitted as Nonexistent began turning the rings. "For everything. I was selfish, but I didn't want you to leave the KND and forget. I didn't want you to forget me, Rachel...!"

There it was. She finally saw it. The first spring of maturity blazed across his storm gray eyes, his face looked older, more sure and stronger. And yet, when she looked deeper, she could see the special spark that made Nigel...Nigel. The playfulness, the suave demeanor as he tried valiantly to perceive when it came to KND, the way he would stutter and clumsily talk his way out of something when he got caught...it was still there.

Nonexistent twisted the rings to form the phrase, _For the Mind, In Control_. The main valve that carried the green liquid began to empty itself out...and resurface through the filter underneath the pods.

The liquid was steadily rising and it soon submerge their legs. The pressure was building and the liquid began to rise faster.

This was it. Rachel tried praying, but was too scared to do so. She and Nigel were going to die, their bodies would then be nothing more than an empty husks waiting to be controlled.

And then something strange happened to her when she stared into Numbuh 777's eyes. A story began to play in her head...a story so familiar.

Then, as if by slow motion, she looked up at Nigel, who continued to stare back, his gaze unwavering, without falter. As if he wanted to spend his last moments gazing at her and it would've embarrassed her a bit if the predicament wasn't so bleak.

But she knew. Nigel was destined for something great, something out of this world. He couldn't end his legend here. No, she refused to let it happen. He deserved a chance, a chance to be great.

She never felt such conviction before, she never felt so responsible for Nigel's future. It only occurred to her right then and there, that his fate didn't belong here.

The pods...the way the pods were aligned. It was almost as if it was destiny.

"Rachel! What are you doing?!" Nigel yelled as he pressed against the glass plate. The water was already up to the chest.

Rachel had maneuvered herself so her body outstretched the width of the pod, her feet pressed hard against the plate.

"Move, Numbuh 1! That's an order!" She commanded as she pulled her knees back.

She will do the unthinkable because she could. She would do it for the sake of KND, for children everywhere.

_But most of all, she did it because for the first time in her life, she truly didn't like-like Nigel Uno...._

With all her strength that she mustered from within her body, mind and soul, she kicked through the glass plate and the water from Nigel's pod began to empty itself into hers. His outraged yell was ringing in her ears. She smiled in triumph before she became fully submerged.

_...she loved him._

Transmission Interrupted.

* * *

A/N: Bah, so much information crammed into this chapter...bleh. XP


	11. Forever

A/N: Ladies (and the few gents out there), we have reached ze climax! One chapter down, folks. One left and that's the epilogue. Enjoy!

* * *

"**Rachel! What are you doing?!" Nigel yelled as he pressed against the glass plate. The water was already up to the chest. **

**Rachel had maneuvered herself so her body outstretched the width of the pod, her feet pressed hard against the plate. **

"**Move, Numbuh 1! That's an order!" She commanded as she pulled her knees back.**

**She will do the unthinkable because she could. She would do it for the sake of KND, for children everywhere.**

_**But most of all, she did it because for the first time in her life, she truly didn't like-like Nigel Uno....**_

**With all her strength that she mustered from within her body, mind and soul, she kicked through the glass plate and the water from Nigel's pod began to empty itself into hers. His outraged yell was ringing in her ears. She smiled in triumph before she became fully submerged. **

_**...she loved him.**_

* * *

Chapter 11: Forever

Connection Reestablished

"Rachel!" Nigel screamed as the force of pressure from Rachel's succeeded attempt caused his pod to rupture and explode, causing glass to shower him as he ducked for cover. He was free.

Rachel's pod, on the other hand, was completely submerged with the green liquid as she was caught off-guard, covering her mouth instinctively, trying to keep the air in.

Nigel forced his arms through the now open plate, cutting his arms from the broken glass in the process and grabbed Rachel's panicked face, forcing her head upwards through the opening. Her left cheek was slightly slashed open from the process, but she gained air in return, gasping and coughing madly.

His arms were snagged against the plate, glass digging deeper into his forearms, but managed to free them. It wouldn't be long until the bottom portion of what's left of his pod began to flood and she'll have no hope to hang on to. He needed to get her out of her pod before she drowned."Hold on, Rachel!"

Nonexistent looked up at the scene and pulled out his Blasto Ray, preparing to aim at Nigel. "You will NOT destroy my beautiful Pods!"

"You're going to rue the day you messed with me, Nonexistent!" Nigel growled as he jumped off of his pod and landed on Nonexistent, causing him to throw his Blasto Ray away from the attack. They both tussled madly on the floor, trying to reach the gun at the same time.

Chad, nonchalant at the ensuing fight, turned to stare at Rachel's pod, something akin to aversion in his eyes. Rachel stared at him back, pleading, begging for him to save her. He couldn't be that--

The blond young man deftly turned on his heel and walked away, disappearing into the shadows.

--heartless...

The water was steadily rising above the plate and was reaching above her cheeks. She didn't have much time left before she was fully submerged no matter how hard she tried to press her face against the plate up for air. She started taking haggard breaths, the stinging of glass tearing through her cheek as she pressed her face up about a centimeter. That was how far she could go. No more chances.

Reina twisted, fought with a force against her former teammates pressing her down, immobilizing her with great strength despite their frail appearance. Nigel was too busy stopping Nonexistent and even if he did, he'd have no way of turning it off before Rachel fully drowned.

She needed to be free!

"...please..!" She begged at her friends, staring up at them earnestly. "She will end up like you! I don't want that to happen...YOU guys don't want that to happen, I know you!" They all stared at her blankly as if coherent words pay no understanding to them. She desperately continued. "We're friends! We were always friends! We were a team! We were...ARE Sector Z of the Kids Next Door! Don't you remember?"

For a second, she thought she saw a flicker of a faint spark in Jericho's eyes, something akin to his former self. She turned to him.

"Jericho, remember when Steve the head hamster of our Treehouse stole your sunflower seeds and you chased him halfway across the world by calling a Red Alert throughout the entire global command to find him? Anya, that boy Billy from homeroom! Remember how he tried to date you just so he can earn your recommendation to join the Arctic Base and you used Tobias' newly designed C.A.T.A.P.U.L.T. to send him flying over half the cafeteria?" Their hold on Reina's arms lessened as they both blinked from the well forgotten memories, their minds searching frantically for those special moments in time.

Reina weakly smiled at Tobias. "Tobias, don't you remember the time you failed the KND examination twice and if you failed one more time, you'd be kicked off the force? Zephyr and I helped you study all night long and you finally passed! Don't you remember that?"

A startling look of realization passed over Tobias face and he dropped his hold on her, his eyes alight with confusion and remembrance at the same time.

"Remember, you guys!" Reina encouraged hopefully. "We fought to end adult tyranny, to ensure that every child enjoyed their childhood! We will always be the Kids Next Door!"

They looked amongst each other and for once, they looked almost normal, the faded colors of their eyes seemed to grow darker and brighter.

There was a howl of pain and they all turned. Nonexistent had grabbed Nigel's arm as he obtained the Blasto and twisted it into an Indian burn, causing the shards of glass to dig painfully into his skin. Nigel relinquished his hold on the weapon but managed to stop the mad doctor from claiming it by kneeing him in the solar plexus. Nonexistent doubled over in pain.

Nigel, bleeding profusely from his arms, kicked the Blasto as far as he could across the lab and ran back to the machine, trying to disarm it.

Curse words never heard from the leader of Sector V spewed out of his mouth in venom as he frantically searched for an off switch or even the main cable to unplug it.

"Numbuh 1! Look out!" Reina yelped as she saw Nonexistent spring to his feet and charged after Nigel, slamming him against the motherboard. The panel crushed in debris and electricity from the forceful attack.

The machine whirred angrily and the main valve emptied itself quicker than before, causing Rachel to hold her one last great breath before becoming fully submerged. She pulled her face away from the now useless plate and returned fully back in her pod, now trying to break free by slamming against it.

"Guys! Please!" Reina begged. There was no more time. She yelped as they finally released her and she crashed back down to the floor. They retreated backwards into the shadows almost shamefully.

She gave them one last pitiful look before standing up swiftly, until she was face to face with Zephyr, the only one standing in her way.

"Zephyr..." Reina stared at him resolutely into his faded eyes, blue-tinged by the Delightfulization. "I never said thank you for giving up your life for mine." Her eyes began to water up as the pain of the memory started to tear at her insides. She pressed her hand on his chest, over his heart. "I don't expect you to forgive me for running, I don't expect you for any amount of sympathy. Please, Zephyr, please let me make up for this nightmare by saving the girl! She did the same as you did, Numbuh 666, she saved the one she cared about. Please don't make her pay the same price as you did!"

Reina looked down at the unfeeling look he was giving her as if he registered nothing in her words. He was induced the most of the Delightfulization liquid; he was worse off than the others. She jumped when she felt something cold cover up her hand on his chest and realized that his pale hand was the cause. His eyes seemed alight with relief.

"...R-rei..." He stuttered out quietly. "...I...n-never...h-h-hate..d..you.." Tears cascaded down Reina's face at those words and gasped as he pulled her hand away and shoved her towards the machine.

She stared back at him retreating back to his team, back into the shadows. Rubbing her eyes and taking the movement as a sign of compliance from Zephyr, she ran toward the broken panel on the machine as Nigel forced Nonexistent off of him and they continued their fight against a lab table. She roamed her eyes from one broken lever to the smashed down keyboard, trying to figure out a way to dismantle it despite the fact that the board was completely destroyed.

Running the well-remembered schematic through her head, she searched for the release lever on the pods and found it jammed between the smashed panel and the monitor and tried valiantly to pull it down. She cursed angrily as the handle snapped.

"No!" She screamed furiously and she turned her gaze back to Rachel. Now out of breath, she was struggling madly, adrenaline was pretty much running through her veins now that she was in a near-drown. Her hits against the pod caused it to shake madly.

She was out of time.

Frantically searching for anything to use to bust the pod open, she jumped after a broken pipe and began using what's left of her strength to hit the glass. It reverberated from the hit.

She took another heavy swing and began to swing faster in a mad fashion. It only ruptured from the inside.

"Rachel! Please hang in there!" Reina begged as she continued her swinging, despite that her body was now to the point of massive exhaustion. "Don't give up!"

* * *

"Don't give up!" Was the words Rachel last heard before she unconsciously took in the liquid as the body's last attempt to breathe in oxygen lulled her senses. Her body felt like it was on fire on the inside and her head seemed to stop functioning properly as those words became jumbled up like bits of crumbs thrown all over the place.

For a second, she thought she heard voices from long since past, children's cries and begging filled her head with a sense of foreboding terror and yet none seemed as clear as the next.

Was she hearing the last of the many Sector Z's in the pod? Echoes from the Delightfulization liquid that was filling her body as well as the pod itself? With the last of her strength, she tried to concentrate on anything the voices made and a soft echoed phrase felt her nearly dead heart flutter gently.

It was earnest and anguish rolled into one being. It made her gut clench with sympathy, but it also filled her with a sense of divine justice, for hearing those words meant in some form, every child lost still had this flickering spark inside of their lost souls, but working bodies. They all chanted the same thing endlessly in her head and she felt a sense of a motherly responsibility for those voices just like back on Moonbase working with her kids.

_Tell the Kids Next Door we miss them._

She felt herself almost sleeping, once she relinquished the fact that struggling was no use and she let the seeping blank darkness grow from the corner view of her eyes until they were overshadowed. Her eyes drifted close and she let go in all sense of the phrase.

* * *

Nigel was thrown off of Nonexistent and sent flying into the opposite wall by the Blasto Ray now in the mad doctor's possession. Gritting his teeth as a headache began to form around the back of his head, he steadily returned to his feet only to have the doctor fire a warning shot near his skull. He raised his arms slightly up out of protocol.

"You've lost, Numbuh 1," Nonexistent breathed heavily as he steadied his aim. "You can't stop me, you can't stop my work, you're hopeless!"

Nigel growled. "I'm sick of people telling me that!"

Nonexistent chuckled darkly. "Only because it is, without a fact, true. What made you think that silly children like yourselves hope to do to stop something that's been around forever?! Such naivety, such insolence! Your lot is a joke! All you kids do is whine about recess and ice cream when there's a world of trouble waiting for you once you take off those diapers! I'm doing everyone a favor!" He shook his weapon out of sheer anger, his child-like face contorting into something grotesque, something a child should never in a million years look like. "Why have your dreams crushed when your young?! Why cry when you figure out that the Tooth Fairy isn't real when you could've been told that all your life?! Children dream and when they grow up, they're crushed by the harsh reality! Is that what you want?"

Numbuh 1 looked wearily at the gun and slowly raised his arms down. "You don't understand. You think that children are worst off with childhoods than without them? You're insane! It's with those dreams, Numbuh Nonexistent, that keeps us with goals and ideas for the future! Yes, we will eventually grow up and realize that not all dreams would be realized, but some actually do! This world, this reality, this life needs dreams to help us grow and appreciate what we have and one day aspire to achieve it!"

Nonexistent growled, still not convinced. "You fool! That's all you brats are! Meddlesome dreamers! I shall wake you up from your pathetic dreams!"

"I won't let you," Nigel straightened up resolutely, clenching his fists, preparing for battle. "I'm not gonna let you win, Nonexistent. You messed with the wrong person!"

"I won't let some random child defeat me!" Nonexistent screeched as he fired his weapon point-blank at Nigel.

Nigel watched through his tinted lenses as the blast was headed towards him and admitted without conviction. "I'm not a child," He gave a wistful smile which then grew into a confident smirk. "I'm Numbuh 1 of the Kids!" He tapped his heels together onto which rockets activated underneath his shoes. "Next!" He jumped up, as the rockets ignited and dodged the blast. He hovered in midair above the shocked doctor. "DOOR!"

He nosedived after Nonexistent and headbutted him, the force of his rocket shoes careening the doctor straight into the wall. The doctor slumped down onto the floor, knocked out.

Nigel landed down onto the floor smoothly, his rocket shoes retracting itself. He gave an almost pitying look at the doctor before Reina's scream knocked him back into reality.

"RACHEL!" The ex-Numbuh screamed in desperation as she dropped her pipe at the sight. Rachel was slumped down, unresponsive.

_It was not happening. This couldn't be happening! _Was what Nigel kept repeating in the back of his head as he grabbed a spare pipe and joined Reina's fruitless attempt to break the pod open.

Their swings became more desperate through each second. For every swing that failed, the further chance they had of saving Rachel.

Summoning up the last of both their strengths, they screamed in pure rage as they swung the pipes straight in unison, causing the pod to crack violently from the abuse.

Reina dropped down in exhaustion, but Nigel refused to give up, despite his arms bleeding and stinging in agonizing pain.

"Rachel!" He roared as he swung the hardest he's ever done and he managed to break the middle pod open. Liquid gushed out, taking Rachel's body with it.

Nigel grabbed her body and laid her out against the liquid and broken glass covered floor and shook her madly. She didn't move.

"Numbuh 777! Please help!" Nigel pleaded as he tried desperately to shake her awake. He wished to God that he had learned CPR and cursed himself for dubbing it an adult issue. He winced angrily at his ineptitude.

Reina scrambled over quickly and stopped him from shaking her, keeping Rachel straight on her back and tilting her head up.

She breathed into Rachel's mouth a couple of times, then pressed her hands on the bottom of her chest and began compressing it quickly. Reina pressed her ear against Rachel's open mouth, trying to hear any form of breath. Hearing none, she repeated the process a few more times, with each attempt causing more desperation between her and Nigel.

Nigel watched quietly in shock at the scene. He will not accept the fact that they lost her. He will not let her go like that! He begged for any deity out there to save her, to do anything to help her!

On the sixth try, Rachel's eyes opened as she began to cough a handful of liquid out of her lungs. Reina stilled the chest compressions and with Nigel's immediate help, flipped Rachel onto her stomach to hack up what was left of the liquid.

"She's alive!" Nigel almost still heart began to beat erratically from relief. His inner cheering subsided almost immediately from the look of horror on Reina's face.

"What? What's wrong?!" Nigel demanded. Reina looked at him sadly and grabbed Rachel gently by the shoulders, straightening her up onto a sitting position. Rachel looked ahead blankly and her head lulled down to the side from gravity. She looked like a living doll.

Nigel almost demanded another answer until he looked carefully at Rachel's eyes. The warm, chocolate brown color was no where to be found.

All there was was a pale blue, slightly gray-tinged, blankly staring at nothing. His heart sank down to the pit of his stomach.

"No..." Nigel meekly whispered as he grabbed Rachel's shoulders and stared into her eyes. "Rachel...? Please, can you hear me?!"

His answer was met with the shuddering breath of Numbuh 777, who looked away from the scene.

"Numbuh 1...her mind's slate has been cleaned," Reina whispered dejectedly. "Her body's alive, but she's..." She trailed off from that, but Nigel knew.

She was gone.

"...No..!" Nigel's voice became cracked as he embraced Rachel's unresponsive body, nearly crushing it out of his sheer desperation. "No, Rachel, please! Come on, wake up! You're Rachel McKenzie! The greatest spy operative of the KND! Our Supreme Leader! You can fight this, you can! Wake up! WAKE UP!"

Reina turned away, unable to witness such a tragic scene.

Nigel began to tear up, his grip on Rachel remained unwavering, as if loosening it would mean she was gone forever. "Don't do this, Rachel! You can't do this to me! It's not fair! It's not right!"

Rachel remained limp in his arms. She heard nothing, knew nothing, was nothing. She was, without a doubt, gone from the world.

He buried his head into her soaked shoulder and sobbed into it, not caring if Reina saw a boy crying.

He didn't feel like a boy at the moment and Reina saw that. She merely saw a human being, troubled and in anguish over the lost of someone. Maturity didn't exist in this part of the human condition. Everyone young and old reacts the same in every situation like this. They grieve all the same, they suffer all the same.

The sobbing subsided after a few minutes which seemed like hours. Nigel refused to move. He breathed in what was left of Rachel's scent emanating from her stray locks of blond hair. Fresh paperwork and the stray scent of the Moonbase tree's sweet smell.

"I couldn't keep my promise," Nigel whispered brokenly. "I'm so sorry, Rachel..."

Reina slowly stood up and her ears picked up the sound of crunching glass and turned quickly to see Numbuh Nonexistent crawling towards a remote on the floor with the words, Self Destruct, written above the red button.

"NO!!" She ran after the doctor, trying to disarm him but it was too late. Nonexistent smiled dementedly as he pressed it and a wall exploded ahead of her, throwing her backwards amongst the dust and debris.

Nigel looked up automatically and yelled in worry over Reina's limp form. "Numbuh 777!" Another blast occurred from right behind him and he jumped out of the way with Rachel as the blast forced them backwards onto the floor.

Groaning slightly as he shielded Rachel from most of the blast by being on top of her, he looked up, dust and debris clinging to his sunglasses as he saw Reina stagger back up, running towards the machine.

The entire lab began to shake violently and the ceiling began to crash down. Nigel ducked, shielding Rachel from harm.

Numbuh 777 stumbled slightly from a huge shake as the room began to collapse. She nicked the rings from the board before a huge chunk of wall landed on it. "Nigel!" She yelled against the loud rumbling and crashing. "Take it!" She threw the rings at him and he nearly bounced it off his hand until he deftly caught it.

"We've got to get out of here!" Nigel yelled as more debris tumbled down. He had to flip them over as a small chunk of the ceiling nearly flattened them.

The former operative shook her head, a small smile playing on her tired features. "You take Rachel and go."

"I'm NOT leaving you, Numbuh 777!" Nigel contradicted, but Reina interrupted him.

"I'm not leaving my team behind, Numbuh 1," She reasoned. "Wouldn't you do the same?" Finding her answer with Nigel's silence, she nodded. "You go on ahead. They need me." She turned to the side and saw her teammates approaching cautiously, with Chad struggling in their grasp. "Don't you worry about me! Just go!"

"Numbuh 777!" Nigel yelled as half of the ceiling collapsed, causing him to lose sight of Reina and the others.

But he couldn't stay back and help. The whole place was collapsing in a quick pace and he needed to get him and Rachel of the there before they were truly done for.

He clicked his heels together once again and his rocket shoes activated. Maneuvering Rachel to rest against his back, he kicked up and, narrowly dodging falling debris and explosion, flew back into the air vent leading back to the makeshift tunnel just before the entire lab destroyed itself.

* * *

The sun shined on them at last. Nigel almost thought that they'd never see the light of day again.

They managed to make it out of the tunnel that Sector NV made and they made it a bit further into the desert in order to make sure the adults in Area 51 don't find them after the huge commotion they made in one of their labs.

Nigel gently rested the unresponsive Rachel onto the soft sand and looked up dejectedly. Back up would be arriving in about twenty minutes and yet there was nothing he could do for the commander he cared about so deeply.

He straightened out her bangs a bit and nearly felt like tearing again, remembering everything there was about Rachel and forcing it to be engraved into his temple forever. No amount of decommissioning could ever erase Rachel from his mind.

Rachel was indeed alive out there, in the form of his memories and her friends' memories. But he couldn't accept it, he refused to accept that she was gone.

Shaking his head, he stood up. There was no time to reminisce, no matter how much in anguish he was. He wanted, needed to be just as emotionless as she was. He wanted to lose his will alongside her if it would stop the pain that was tearing his chest in two.

A small 'chink' evaded his inner thoughts and he looked down to see the platinum rings settled into the sand, leaving a deep imprint on it. Memories washed over him like a waterfall.

"_Nigel?" _

"_What is it?"_

"_You and Lizzie...do you think that you two might be with each other for the rest of your lives?" _

"_That's uh...very personal, Rachel. Why do you ask?"_

"_You ran off because she wanted to give you relationship rings, remember? It sounded like you were doubtful of being with her."_

"_I don't know, really. Everything was fine until she had to get a bunch of silver bands to prove our commitment to the rest of the world! It was going so fast, like no turning back, you know? I mean, I'm only twelve for criss sakes! I don't want that kind of pressure on me. It's not fair to me, or her."_

Nigel looked at the interwoven bands as if he was in a trance. He reached down.

"_I hate rings too."_

Nigel's hand halted in mid-grab.

"_Why?"_

"_Because, everyone's got one!`Couples patrolling the Moonbase as if they're better than everyone else, operatives not doing their jobs only wondering who's got who's ring! I'm sick of it! They're nothing but stupid false promises to make you feel like you're important and then say, 'Oops, sorry. I don't like you anymore' and then pull the rug from right under you and go on their way. Is that how these rings work? Well, I think that's sick!"_

Nigel smiled wistfully. It almost seemed like forever.

"_Maybe someday. You're a great person, Nigel Uno. Lizzie's a very lucky girl. She'll never have to worry about your promises." _

"_And neither should you,_" Nigel repeated quietly as he picked up the rings carefully and sat down beside Rachel. Her eyes were nearly a total blue now.

He lifted up Rachel's hand as delicately as possible, almost cradling it like a groom ready to marry the bride. He smiled sadly. "_I promise to be a good friend to you always, Rachel. Whenever you need me, all you have to do is call._" He placed the ring onto her ring finger, the band glinting slightly from the light.

Calling on Numbuh 777's previous words over the communicator, he carefully turned the top ring and the bottom ring to the right, forming the phrase, _For the Mind, In Itself_. The ring began to glow a bright blue and sparks began to trail out of it. He paused and continued, twisting the rings this time to the left, forming the phrase, _For the Heart, In Control_ to appear.

The ring reverberated into a soft hum and he stepped back as the ring started showering blue sparks. It suddenly conducted with the damp liquid still clinging to Rachel and ignited. Her body began shake wildly from the electricity.

He watched in amazement as the electricity soon enveloped her and conglomerated to the point where she arched up from the force. The electricity shot up her spinal cord and into her skull before the electricity slowly died down and she crumpled back down weakly.

He reached to touch her shoulder and yelped, drawing back as bits of static shock ran up his already injured arm. He jumped back in alarm when Rachel sat up immediately and gasped frantically.

"...Rachel...?" He watched, transfixed as Rachel yelped in pain and wrenched the ring off of her before it shocked her some more and threw it in anger.

Taking a couple of deep breaths, she looked up and Nigel returned to his knees to take a look at her. The blue in her eyes disappeared and it was replaced with the familial color of brown.

She blinked before giving out a small, nervous smile. "Hi..."

He embraced her, crushing her against him to the point where she huffed meekly in response.

"...I...told you that you're capable of keeping your promises, Nigel Uno..."she felt Nigel let go of his death grip on her and stared at each other. She tried to turn away in embarrassment, but she couldn't. Nigel continued to stare at her in a way that made her hair stand on end. It was piercing and resolved as if searching for something in her.

She felt her already jump-started heart hammering against her chest at the look he was giving her. It seemed nothing like the old Nigel Uno, but yet it was him.

He looked older, wiser, cautious yet confident in his right.

"I almost lost you." He said quietly. Even to Rachel, his voice seemed more reserved and deep.

She looked away nervously. "Eh...'almost' is the keyword here, Numbuh 1." She felt him grip her upper arms gently and she felt her cheeks becoming hot. She'd never felt so...so...she couldn't describe it.

Nigel tipped her chin up gently, so they saw eye to eye again. He never wanted to stop staring into her eyes. He never wanted to lose her again. Her near-death shook him to the core, to the point where he didn't feel the same again. He couldn't go back to his own cocky self without some form of agenda fueling it, nor go back to the way things were.

He had to admit it fair and square. He was growing up. Rachel was growing up. His team was growing up. Everyone eventually grows up. He couldn't change it no matter how hard he tried.

And maybe, he didn't want to try anymore.

He tilted his head down a bit, as if waiting to see if Rachel would object. She stared at him right back, her expression between nervousness and acceptance. He leaned forward more and could tell that she was slightly leaning up as well...

"SUPREME LEADDDDAAAAHHHH!!!!" A loud, heavy Irish accent slashed the moment into little bite-sized pieces. Nigel and Rachel scrambled away from each other at the piercing sound.

Rachel chuckled nervously and tucked a disordered strand of hair behind her ear as Fanny and Patton rushed over to her and saluted. "Uh...at ease?"

Fanny snapped out of her Tactical Officer mode and tackled the poor blond, squeezing her middle roughly as Patton scratched his cheek in embarrassment.

"I was so scared, sir!" Fanny cried out loudly, tears flowing out like waterfalls. "Look at ye! Ye cheek is bleedin'! Stoopid Numbuh 1! Ee was suppose ta take care of ye!"

Nigel frowned.

"Oh, yes, I'm quite alright, no, my arms aren't torn up from broken glass, it's just ketchup, but thanks for caring, Numbuh 86!" Nigel sarcastically cheered, smoldering in a rage behind Fanny's back. She had no idea that she broke such a perfect moment!

Patton saluted Nigel, holding up a first aid kit that he scrounged out of his huge backpack. "Those cuts look like they need extreme medical condition, Numbuh 1! The best we can do is put ointment on it to keep it from infection until we can fly you over to Moonbase and have Numbuh 911 check it out and maybe stitch it back together."

Nigel haphazardly saluted back. "Most of the bigger pieces of glass has already been removed, but I don't know if it's safe to wrap it until then before the smaller ones are dealt with."

Rachel looked over at Nigel worriedly before Patton continued. "Sir, I have a pair of tweezers in my kit! If you order it, I can personally help you extract those pieces out, sir!"

Numbuh 1 raised an eyebrow. "What are your credentials in learning out to do that, Numbuh 60?"

"I practiced by playing many hours on the board game, Operation, sir!" Numbuh 60 saluted. "I have successfully managed to extract the Charlie's Horse without touching the sides, sir!"

Rachel facepalmed. The leader of Sector V chuckled nervously. "On second thought, I think I can hold on until we reach Moonbase...."

With the help of Fanny, Rachel managed to get back on her feet. "Let's go back to Moonbase okay?"

"Mission solved, sir?" Numbuh 86 wrapped her Commander's arm over her shoulder for balance.

Rachel glanced at Nigel, who nodded mutely. "Mission solved, Numbuh 86."

* * *

A military vehicle sat mutely behind an underbrush, looking as if it was abandoned. The driver looked up as a 2x4 spacecraft disappears into the sky, heading towards a faded gray sphere far off from the sun in the violet horizon.

Steadily, he gets out of the vehicle, closing the door with a sound 'thunk' and walks ahead about forty feet before reaching a now abandoned portion of the dry desert.

He looks around in nonchalance before reaching down and obtaining a shining pair of silver bands nearly covered entirely by the orange-colored sand. As he brushed it off a few stray sparks began to fly. He twisted the two bands and the sparks ceased.

Brushing a few blond strands from his eyes, he rolled his aching shoulders back, spun on his heel and returns to the vehicle, noticing that the shotgun and backseats are now completely occupied.

Sitting inside the jeep, he jingles the rings in his palm as he turns on the air conditioning, lessening the discomfort of the desert heat. The young man sitting shotgun sighed in relief at the air.

"Everything's gone to plan, Chad," Maurice answered, running his fingers along the keyboard on his laptop. "Hacked into Area 51's main operating system and issued a standard code 11 accidental lab explosion around the perimeter. The explosion should've destroyed the Delightfulization machine and render it inoperable."

"And Numbuh Nonexistent?"

Maurice halted his typing for a second before repeating the process. "Not found. Sources do indicate a body buried under the rubble when I comprised a quick ground scan. It is most likely him." The dark operative glanced at Chad. "Due to his appearance, you don't think...?"

"The rubble should've destroyed the glass casing," Chad answered without a hint of sympathy for his fallen employer. "The Agents of Area 51 should only come across a full old man with metal wiring around his neck."

A slim hand noiselessly appeared palm up between Maurice and Chad's seats, the fingers motioning as if it wanted something. Chad blinks momentarily before he relinquishes the rings onto the hand. It retreats and a coy 'thank you' muttered from the back.

As Chad revs up the engine, Maurice cheerfully turns toward the back. "Oh and welcome back, Numbuh 777. It's been awhile, hasn't it?"

A dark haired young woman moved forward to address him, her face and arms cleanly bandaged. "Too long." She answered softly.

"Numbuh Infinity is itching for your report and I'm sure the Galactic Council will be pleased that everything worked according to plan," Maurice returned to his typing as Chad stepped on the gas and they were finally moving. "It's been almost ten years in the making. You'll be honored and recognized by all the operatives back home."

"I don't care about the theatrics, Numbuh 9," Reina leans back in her seat, in between two motionless individuals. "So long as I can go back to my old lab and take care of my team." Stirring occurred from between Numbuh 777 and the backseats.

Numbuh 9 looked almost in pity at the still Delightfulized operatives of Sector Z. "You think they can be returned to normal? It's been _years_."

Reaching a well empty portion of the desert, Chad silently pressed the Cigarette Lighter button. The vehicle slowly began to be enveloped in a green, fluorescent light. It began to shake as it started the departure.

Reina looked up at the sky where stars were slowly coming out as dusk approached. She can almost pinpoint their base. She answered Maurice's question a bit late. "If Numbuh 1 and Numbuh 362 can do it, so can I."

As the vehicle began to teleport from this plane of reality, a small smile graced her bandaged face.

_Good luck, you two._

* * *

They were both hospitalized for days on end.

Numbuh 911 was a fickle fellow, being the head operative of the Medical Ward on Moonbase, refused to let Nigel or Rachel go until they were thoroughly evaluated from the inside out.

Nigel, after complaining loudly for twenty minutes as Numbuh 911 set to work on removing the bits of glass from his arms (ironically, 911 was not very good at Operation like 60 was), and was forced into a full shoulder cast until his wounds healed, despite the fact that he had no broken bones to justify a cast in the first place. He was forced to sit on a stretcher for days watching reruns of Rainbow Monkey Super Romantic Wuvvy Dovvy soaps because he couldn't reach for the remote due to the infernal cast.

Rachel was most likely the worse off. After her cheek was cleaned, 911 wrapped her head in gauzes big enough to provide a band-aid to an elephant's leg, and she ended up looking like a mummy with a giant head. She was then forced to endure nightly examination to check and see if any of the Delightfulization effects still inhabited her person and had to endure cold prodding with metal instruments by interns who had no idea what they were doing. She was finally removed out of quarantine after a week of prodding. And only because _she_ ordered them to.

The Supreme Leader lazily flipped through the channels, finally settling on _Doctor What_ to which she mentally cheered. She didn't care if people thought she was a nerd for watching it like all the KND scientists, mostly because she found David Tennant very cute.

She was watching halfway through _Lampwood_ before the door to her room began to open and she sighed, dutifully turning off the TV. She wasn't supposed to be watching _Lampwood_ anyhow. It was for adults.

Nigel walked in, looking quite back to normal. Rachel could still see the bandages around his wrist from under his sleeves, no doubt trying to keep her from worrying.

"I see you've been let off the cast," Rachel smirked. "How'd you manage that with 911's permission?"

Nigel returned the favor, straightening his glasses. "I didn't. Numbuh 5 distracted him long enough for Numbuh 2 to unhook me from it. Then we ran for it."

She smiled broadly at the remark. Nigel pointed at her no longer bandaged head. "What did _you_ do to change 911's mind?"

"I ordered him to do it," She leaned back against her pillows, sighing slightly. "I guess it does pay to be in charge of everything, doesn't it?"

They relaxed in silence for a bit until Nigel nervously rubbed the back of his head, facing away from the curious Supreme Leader. "Do you...uh...wanna head down to the Observation Deck for some fresh air?"

She looked at him curiously before nodding. "Sure. Why not?"

"Let's go before Numbuh 911 finds out you've gone AWOL." Nigel reached his hand out to her and she took it, both ignoring the fluttering feeling they felt in the pit of their guts.

No one was around on the Observation Deck, a good tidbit of information that caused both Commanders to be highly nervous about. At least it was better than joining the swooning couples that were usually gazing at the stars at this time of night. They'd rather not be reminded about the inner turmoil of their already confusing feelings.

"Uh..beautiful night, isn't it?" Nigel asked nervously at the already red blond. He'd never initiate anything back when he dated Lizzie and always let her do the talking with him answering back. He realized that he lacked experience in the department of swooning a girl over with his smooth talking and felt like kicking himself for it.

Rachel nervously tucked her hair behind her ear, looking up at the sky in nervousness. "...yes, it is beautiful."

Nigel, on the inside, was completely wrapped in utter conflict. How was he going to admit his love to a girl by merely standing around looking at stars all night, despite the fact that the other half of him, aka his physical body, refused to move or say anything out of sheer terror.

Just as he managed to muster enough courage to tell the girl he inevitably fell in love with his feelings, the melodic sound of her voice almost washed it all away.

"Nigel, do you ever wonder what's out there in space?" She glanced at him with a weird expression on her face as if she was trying to test him for some kind of reason.

He blinked, picked up his jaw in a proverbial sense and crossed his arms, wincing slightly doing so, and examined the heavens above him. "Hmm...sometimes I suppose..."

She then shrugged slightly and stared alongside with him. "If you were given a chance to explore the universe, would you do it?"

Nigel's gaze moved from the stars to her wistful expression. "Why do you say that?"

"Just making small talk," She smiled slightly, folding her arms as well. "You know, after watching _Doctor What_ and all..."

"Told you not to watch that space-time continuum junk," Nigel raised an eyebrow almost coyly. "You start talking nonsense like all the other KND scientists."

Rachel laughed softly. "Maybe, but it might make me feel closer to you someday..." She whispered out of earshot.

Nigel took a deep breath and continued to stare at the skies. "'_If I had the chance to explore the universe, would I do it_?'. Was that the question?"

She nodded quietly.

He looked at her from the corner of his eye. "Would you come with me?"

A pained expression lit up across her face, but disappeared a moment later. He still caught the gesture as she shook her head.

"I couldn't."

"Then I wouldn't do it."

She snapped her head towards his direction, confusion settling in. "Why?"

"It's not obvious?" Nigel rested his hands on Rachel's shoulders, a small smirk surfacing. "Rachel...you mean a lot to me."

Rachel closed her eyes and turned her head away. This was something she had fantasized for two years; for Nigel to admit his love for her. But...

"You don't mean that," She let out her breath in defeat. "Take back what you said, Nigel."

Nigel gave her an incredulous look. "What do you mean, 'take it back'? Rachel, I can't do that!"

"You're confused, I understand," Rachel gently moved away from Nigel. "I mean, you just broke up with Lizzie. It's okay..."

"Why are you saying that, Rachel?" Nigel demanded. "I'm not going to say otherwise! I really do lo--"

"Don't say it, Numbuh 1!" Rachel interrupted, her voice cold and calculating as she went into Supreme Leader mode. "That's an order!"

Nigel took off his glasses furiously, his gaze upon her was mixed with an intense confusion and hurt. "What's wrong with you, Rachel? Why are you dodging the issue?!"

Rachel clenched her fists in pain and anguish. On the outside she was stern and serious, but on the inside she felt like crawling under somewhere and die. She wanted, so bad, to have him tell her that he cared for her...but she knew her place in the world. He needed to know his.

"Because we're just twelve years old, Numbuh 1!" Rachel blurted out as she threw her fist away from her in anger. "I know what you wanted to say and I'm not letting you say it! Twelve year olds don't find their true loves, Nigel, it's not reasonable! I won't let you tell me that you're mine forever and then break up due to our decommissioning, I won't let you!" She turned away, unable to see the flash of hurt she knew would appear on his face as her words deepened.

Her voice became soft and forlorn as if she was truly emotionally exhausted. "We're not the same, Nigel. We can't stay together forever. You're destined for bigger, better things and I...I won't fit in those plans. I need to find myself, you need to find yourself. We both need to secure our place in the world before we go on finding someone to share it with."

Rachel blinked as she listened to her words. They were almost the exact same concepts Chad told her when he broke up with her. She now understood the meaning of them.

She felt a hand gently grab a hold of her shoulder and turned her around. She could see Nigel's storm gray eyes were softened and delicate as if they were about to shatter if she spoke anymore.

"Rachel," He whispered. "Do you at least feel the same for me as I do for you?"

That was when her heart stopped completely. How she wanted to tell him that she loved him since she was ten, how relieved she was when he consoled her during the tag fiasco, how much she truly believed in his ability to save her from Nonexistent. She wanted to tell him everything, to tell him that she truly, inexplicably...

"I don't." She answered meekly, blinking madly as Nigel stepped away, his face unreadable as they stared at each other for the longest time.

It was like the silence only added to the rift that was slowly forming between them; all those weeks spent together as the bridge between them slowly dismantled itself with every passing side glance, smile and kindred moment began to build up again. She wanted it this way. He needed to be free from her, his ties completely severed.

Brown met gray and their gaze were unwavering as Nigel fought hard to read what was running through her mind and her trying to build up those defenses.

She turned away and broke the link. "Return to Sector V, Numbuh 1," Tears were prickling around the corners of her eyes, but her tone was stern and commanding. "You've got mission specs to go over with your team."

At first, she thought that he wouldn't follow her orders after a brief moment, until she heard the clicking of boots and the airy sound of an arm raising. He was saluting her.

"Understood, Numbuh 362." The tone seemed uniform on the outside, but she could hear the underlying bitterness emanating from his words.

She started to return to her Command Deck. It was what she wanted and down the line, he'd understand that it was what he needed as well.

* * *

Rachel sorted through the paperwork that accumulated over the past few weeks in her absence, groaning slightly at her once semi-organized office was now covered in files and manila folders. She sighed. As if her day couldn't get any worse than this.

Ready to return to the barracks to get some well needed sleep, her transmission screen bleeped softly and she turned to her panel, accepting the oncoming signal.

The screen snowed for a second until it turned black and the 'Transmission Established' connector flashed before it disappeared and was replaced with a well-dressed, dark young boy with a permanently cheerful expression radiating from the screen. Rachel weakly saluted.

"Numbuh Infinity," She stated as she dropped her salute. "What is it?"

The boy enigma smirked slightly. "I can't say good evening to a fellow leader without her drawing suspicion from it?"

He faltered slightly at her look, which was pretty much the highly suspicious, I-Believe-You-As-Much-As-I-Can-Throw-You look. She reminded him of Numbuh 1.

"Very well, I shall cut to the chase."

"About time." Rachel rolled her eyes. She could never have the patience for Infinity's excessive mind games.

"Is it done?" Numbuh Infinity's voice became stern and business-like. She was glad for it. "Are his ties severed to Earth?"

"All but familial and that is where I have to draw the line. I really don't want to make Numbuh 1's mum cry." Rachel answered in a deadpan, as to which Infinity chuckled.

He rubbed his chin gleefully. "Your sardonic sense of humor amuses me greatly every time we chat, Rachel. Nothing like we get up here."

She chose to ignore that. Turning away, she busied herself by straightening up the paperwork littering her desk. "Is that all? You got what you wanted. You have my reports."

"Indeed. I just thought about checking up on you, after all, while Nigel Uno is being highly recommended for permanent reentry into the Galactic Kids Next Door, you'll get nothing out of the deal..."

"So, you wanted to pity me, is that it?" Rachel slammed her files back on the desk and swung angrily back at the screen. "Listen here, Numbuh Infinity, and listen well. I don't need pity from you, or anyone. I don't need a universal organization fighting bedtime curfew to make me feel proud of myself. I'll go my own way without the KND. Are we clear?"

"Crystal," He smiled, though it seemed dimmed a bit from her words. "Good work, Numbuh 362."

Transmission ended, the screen bleeping quietly throughout the office.

Rachel's finger was pressed resolutely on the end button, before she released it.

She sat down behind her desk, trying to forget everything that transpired by focusing on the extra homework epidemic and refueling the 2x4 Supper Jets. But, she became so off-kilter with her thoughts that she ended up mixing the approvals with denials by signing the approval for restocking the Moonbase fridge with soda pop and denying Sector G from their urgent request of hamster backup.

All she could think of was the crushed look on Nigel's face when she denied that she loved him and Infinity's simpering smile blending together into one. Growling, she pushed everything off of her desk; books, papers and unfinished equipment crashing down onto the floor.

She dropped her head into her hands, running her fingers through her hair. She had to believe, understand and agree that she did this for him. She was helping his career kick off on more than a global manner, but a galactic one.

She pulled her steadily growing hair back, tears forming in the corners of her eyes.

Nigel will be the greatest operative ever, going on intergalactic missions, meeting new creatures, battling adult tyranny for the rest of his life. And she would be decommissioned like the rest of them, go on through her teens and adulthood, living out the rest of her life normally.

That was how the way things are. That was their potential futures.

No matter how hard she wanted to believe that their paths would cross one day, it's more than obvious that they won't. She had to accept that bit of reality.

It didn't help that her heart couldn't stop aching and it wouldn't for a long time.

Connection Interrupted


	12. My Life Would Suck Without You

A/N: Yep, the last leg of the finish line, folks. Final chapter to a year long series, thank God! I had fun and I hope you did too! XD

* * *

Epilogue: My Life Would Suck Without You

**Transmission Reestablished**

_Four Months Later_

Unfiled reports.

Fifteen transmissions waiting to be accepted.

Seven incoming calls from the Arctic.

Three hundred thousand operatives screaming her name constantly.

"Supreme Leadah!"

Rachel looked up from her paperwork, where a seething Fanny Fulbright stood fuming in front of her desk, paper crumpled into her hand that looked like a sadly abused report.

The blond gave a resolute nod and set her pen down, fingers tapping with a tense patience on her desk. "Yes, Numbuh 86?"

The irate Irish preteen slammed what was crumpled in her fist onto the messy desk, causing Rachel to jump a centimeter.

"Did ye see this?" Fanny set her hands on her hips, puffing her chest out dramatically. Rachel sighed and unfolded the crinkled report. "Why is it dat Secta' V keeps obtainin' da Delightful Children's cake missions and yet we hav' no success rate from it?"

Rachel glanced at the report. It was pink and covered with generic sparkles, indicating an urgent, mandatory ejection from a current mission. She roamed her eyes over the scrawling signatures from every leader of each Sector, requesting that Sector V be taken off the case and replaced with one with the highest success rate.

She set the report down. "Sector V is always in charge of the cake missions. Why the change now?"

"Eet's at an uproar, Supreme Leadah!" Fanny leaned forward on Rachel's desk. "Secta' V continues to either lose or destroy da cake due ta their reckless attempts at retrieving eet. We hav' been een a cake drought fa months, Commandah! Da operatives are getting restless! Some hav' even been transferred inta Numbah 911's care due ta frostin' withdrawal!"

"I see." It was only a matter of time, she suppose, when Sector V would be forced off the cake missions for those reasons alone. They always seemed to be stuck on some rotten karma when dealing with birthday cakes, but she couldn't give them some slack. She couldn't play favorites, even if Numbuh 1 was the leader of that team.

The Delightful Children's birthday was today. There was no time to ponder the ethics of the KND legal system. She was going to have to allow the petition to pass, lest she be faced with another failure in her duty as Supreme Leader. She already failed them multiple times before.

She dismissed Fanny and approached her transmitter, ordering the computer to connect to Sector V's treehouse. Numbuh 3 answered joyfully.

"Hello! Incoming from Moonbase!" She cheered. Rachel noticed that she was getting clumsily suit up for her mission.

"Numbuh 3," Rachel tried to clear her throat, but she found a knot that refused to move and she ended up coughing a bit. "Is Numbuh 1 there?"

Kuki's eyes widened as she recognized Rachel and smiled even wider. Rachel shifted uncomfortably.

"Hello Rachel!" She cheered. Her eyes then became shifted in suggestion. "We're going on a mission soon, so I'm not sure if it's a good time for you guys to make googly eyes at each other!"

"We're not doing _anything_ of that sort!" The blond gritted her teeth. "This is a special report from Moonbase regarding your current mission and I need to inform your sector leader of these proceedings."

A voice off-screen caused the hair on Rachel's neck to stand on end. "Numbuh 3! Hurry it up, will you? We've got a top secret mission to deal with!"

"Okay, Numbuh 1!" Kuki waved to her left. "But I'm talking to Rachel at the moment!"

"Rachel?" Footsteps began to move closer to the screen.

Rachel glanced away nervously as Nigel appeared on screen, his eyebrow raised from behind his sunglasses.

He saluted her. "Numbuh 362!" He then waved Kuki away, who gave him a sultry grin in return. They both ignored it. "Is there something the matter?"

"You've been put off the Delightful cake mission, Numbuh 1," Rachel replied cautiously. She expected Nigel's next reaction.

Utter anger.

"What?!" He demanded in a mix of surprise of exasperation. "But we've always done these missions!"

"It's not in my power this time, Nigel," She sent a fax of the petition. Nigel ripped it out of the fax with a flourish and glared at it. "Every sector leader has signed it. We _need_ that cake, Nigel."

"And we'll deliver it," Nigel replied confidently. "We will this time, I swear!"

Rachel shook her head. Nigel was as stubborn as a donkey. "You're off the case, Nigel. Sorry."

Nigel stared at her with a look of utmost loathing. Rachel stared back cautiously. "You can't do that, Rachel. This is our calling!"

She shook her head. "Not anymore. As your Supreme Leader, you will cease and desist from going on that mission."

"That's all that is to you, isn't it Rachel? All work, desk jobs, ordering around," Rachel looked abashed at his words. "Professionalism before anything else, right?"

"You're the one to talk," Her eyes narrowed in concealed anger. "Workaholic leader of the KND, reckless operative, stubborn..." She clenched her hands into a tight ball, shaking slightly. "...stubborn everything! You don't respect my authority at all, do you?"

Nigel glared back. "How can I respect your authorities if you can't respect mine?"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You know _damn_ well what I mean!" Rachel flinched at his curse word. He'd never resort to adult swearing before. "This isn't over, Rachel."

She knew what he meant. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Nigel grinned in disbelief and leaned forward, causing Rachel to pull back despite them being planets away from each other. When did he become so...intimidating?

He tore up the copy of the petition and straightened up his glasses. "Sector V over and out."

"Don't undermine my authority, Nigel Uno!" Rachel growled as she saw him salute her in farewell. "You'll regret it!"

"Goodbye, Rachel." The transmission ended. She stared back at it almost somberly, knowing what would happen next.

She swiveled in her chair back to her desk and opened up the Sector Progress Records from her Papaya Computer, going over the charts of the Sectors. She knew that Nigel wasn't going to heed her orders. That would mean disobeying the KND Global Command and she wasn't going to take it lying down.

She observed that Sector W, led by her younger brother, Numbuh 363, came up with the highest success rate of finishing missions. They would have to do. She did owe him a good mission, despite his rather...strange phobia with being touched. She phoned Sector W.

While waiting for the transmission to open, she stared at Sector V's mission specs. While they did do their jobs, they did it at great costs to the organization, the numbers trailing in buhzillions. She sighed sadly at Nigel's KND picture. Smirking, undaunted and confident in himself and all that he does and will ever do. This was the day. This was the day that would change everyone who ever knew Nigel forever.

"Goodbye, Nigel."

* * *

She didn't mean to be so brash. And she didn't mean to be so angry at him.

She didn't mean to yell at him, forbidding him to do the things he did best and let another Sector take over.

She didn't mean to have their last interaction be so forced and spiteful. She didn't mean to rub her authority in his face like she ruled the world.

He made her angry in the first place and yet she couldn't reign in her temper one last time, when she knew that this was the last mission Nigel Uno would ever take on earth.

She leaned against the railing on the Observation Deck, where she and a certain individual spent their last moments privately together, though she silently admitted that it wasn't the best memory she wanted of him, she settled for it.

Looking down, she watched in a stoic fashion as operatives were putting the finishing touches on the twenty foot plaque dedicated in honor to the fallen agents throughout Sector Z, baring the words in gold, 'We Miss You Too', etched in big letters on top of the many Numbuhs and names of the former operatives. It was the least she could do for them.

She was on the transmitter all day reinstating Sector Z, but due to it's unpopularity, was converted into an emergency task force on Moonbase, covered by the Teens Next Door. It was hard convincing the entire global command that the jinx had been officially lifted.

She tried to think of these things, trying to ignore the fact that he was gone. Vanished without a trace, without notice and she let it happen. She encouraged it.

Sector V called her afterwards, confirming that their leader had vanished and yet they couldn't tell her where to. But she knew, oh how she knew.

She remembered the somber look Numbuh 5 gave her as she officially reinstated her as leader of Sector V, watched as Numbuh 2 tried valiantly to seem cheerful, but she knew he was crushed inside by the forlorn look hidden from behind his goggles.

Numbuh 4 completely turned away during the proceedings, unable to stare back at her, kicking a stray pebble as he tried to distract himself. His hood was over his head and he tried to make himself as invincible as possible.

Numbuh 3 seemed the worst off. Her lip quivered ever so slightly at the mention of her former leader's name and looked as if she was about to cry, rubbing her over-sleeved arm across her eyes every now and then.

The feeling in Rachel's hands became a dull ache from gripping the railing in a tight grip as the words and memories slowly sank in.

The leader of Sector V was gone.

Numbuh 1 was gone.

Nigel Uno was gone.

Nigel was gone.

Her grip was near death and she would've winced in pain if not for the stabbing feeling that was puncturing the entirety of her chest, unyielding and prickling. There was a huge knot in her throat that grew with every thought pertaining to Nigel, staunching her breath into a shudder.

She tilted her head down, trying her best to keep it in, to keep from breaking down. This was what she wanted. She had given him the opportunity of a lifetime. This was what he deserved.

"Lass?"

Rachel gasped, though it sounded more like a strangled hiccup. She rubbed her eyes frantically as her red-headed comrade approached.

"Um...what is it, Numbuh 86?" She tried to elegantly compose herself by straightening up and clearing her throat. She placed a lock of hair behind her ear as Fanny tilted her head to the side curiously.

"I 'eard abou' Numbah 1," Fanny shifted her weight to one foot uncomfortably. She wasn't used to showing her sensitive side. "Ee vanished jus' like dat!" She snapped her fingers in demonstration. "No one knows where ee' is an' Secta V ain't talkin' abou' it!"

"I know," Rachel looked away and rubbed her arm. It reminded Fanny of a cowering rabbit. "Don't worry about it. He left for a good reason."

Fanny shrugged. "If you say so." Normally, she'd pry as best as she could to find out about this weird scenario, but she treasured her friendship with Rachel more than snooping. She was the only friend she had.

They both looked down distractedly for a few moments, staring down the deck as a random operative wobbled dangerously on a ladder due to his buddies down below oogling a passing Numbuh 10. The ladder finally gave way and the operative fell down with a hysterical yell on top of his drooling buddy.

"Ya know..." Fanny pulled her helmet up a bit awkwardly. "Eet's okay...ta be sad ova' Numbah 1, you know...bein' gone an' whatnot," She laughed nervously. "I mean, despite da fact dat he's a stoopid boy an' you shouldn't be sad ova' 'im...I completely understan--"

She stopped her rambling and stared wide-eyed at the sight of her Supreme Leader. There were tears flowing quietly down her face one by one, some of the droplets catching on the stray blond strands on her face.

"...Rachel..." The look on Fanny's face was horrified. She had never seen her commander look so sad before...so helpless and lonely. Her eyes softened when Rachel tried valiantly to rub away the tears.

Rachel jumped when she was pulled into a hug. It was neither crushing nor suffocating like her usual hugs. It was tentative and comforting.

"Aye Lass, eet's alrigh'," Fanny's consoling words caused her to choke from the onslaught of emotions. She buried her head into the Irish girl's shoulder, a small whimper escaping. "Ye can cry, Lass, as much as ye need."

Rachel was always the type to put everyone else before her, always taking the backseat as others take over the limelight, working behind the scenes. It was her nature to look ahead, always plan in advance. She spent her time saying goodbye to every operative approaching decommissioning, reassuring them. But no one understood the effects it would have on Rachel herself, the burden of letting a loyal soldier go when their time came, sticking to traditions, keeping her emotions at the helm as she saluted them one last time.

Nigel Uno's disappearance would hurt her more than the others. That alone she knew. He was special to Rachel in ways their child-like minds could not comprehend.

Fanny couldn't reprimand her for it, couldn't tell her that crying over him made her seem like a wimp with a crush. The look on her commander's face was more than that.

She looked like a woman, who's heart was broken. And she was suffering with this loss, all the while trying to reassure everyone that she was fine.

She would allow it. Allow her commander to empty her pain onto her shoulder, crying out the negative feelings that she knew was churning inside her. _Let it all out_, she remembered her mother telling her when her Gran died, _let it out because it's worse if it's kept inside._

Fanny wouldn't tell anyone how her commander broke down right in front of her, and she knew that Rachel knew that as well. Rachel had earned Fanny's respect in every sense of the word. She still had it even as she quietly sobbed into her shoulder.

She was still the strong, reliable Supreme Leader of the entire Kids Next Door Organization.

She was still Numbuh 362.

But, right now, she was allowed to be Rachel.

* * *

Thirty minutes of crying non-stop.

Another thirty minutes trying to get back peacefully into her office with Fanny fending off the whining operatives asking for clearance from her.

Fifteen minutes spent summoning up the courage to close up Nigel's operative file, deeming him honorably decommissioned.

Forty-five minutes having an exhaustive sleep on the desk while Patton personally guarded her door from the meddling Numbuh 101.

A total of two hours she spent by herself. Two hours of sorting things out.

She stretched slowly, feeling a bit refreshed. She felt lighter, but more empty than ever as the concept of Nigel being gone forever felt more real than before.

Rachel returned to slumping back onto her desk, resting her chin on a couple of leafy pamphlets and the smooth, cherry wood finish of her desk.

She blew a stray piece of hair from her eyes. "I need a can of soda."

A can of grape fizz slid towards her line of vision. She stared at it tiredly.

"Thanks."

"You're welcome," A solid, British accent flitted carelessly, but it zapped Rachel to the core. She yelped in surprise and jolted up in alarm, nearly falling backwards off of her chair.

The voice chuckled from the shadows near her door. It was melodic and full of humor. It was music to her ears. There was only one person who could do that.

"N...nigel...?" She straightened from her chair and stood up, dizzying from the vertigo of her previous jolt upwards.

She felt a hand grasping her wrist, steadying her as a warm shock erupted up her arm. She looked up and low and behold, storm gray eyes gazed back at her, all trace of anger dissipated from them.

"Hello Rachel." Nigel smirked from beneath what seemed to be a new pair of sunglasses. They weren't the ones she recognized, having seen Nigel's sunglasses now worn by Numbuh 5 recently. They were tinted with a dark red color and seemed to be more alien-like in design.

Only one day and he seemed to be settling nicely with the Galactic Kids Next Door. She didn't know whether to be relieved or annoyed at the thought.

"Nigel," She echoed faintly. It was like a dream. She hoped it wasn't a dream. "I thought you left for the GKND...?"

Nigel let go of her, both of them already missing the contact. He rubbed the back of his bald head sheepishly. "Numbuh 777 pulled some strings for me...in gratitude for...you know..." he motioned between him and her. "...that mission...?"

She mentally sighed. She was worried about Reina and the others' whereabouts after the incident and she was pleased that they made it out okay. But his words surprised her. "You mean...that..?

"Reina was part of the GKND or the so-called 'Illuminati'?" Nigel finished her sentence without missing a beat. "Yes, she was. She's a scientist on board, specializing in...well, obviously, mind manipulation." He gave her a small smile. "She helped me by forcing Numbuh Infinity to return to Moonbase to say goodbye."

Rachel blinked. "But, I thought you said goodbye to everyone back on earth?" Nigel snorted. Exhaustion never did seem plausible to a rational mind.

"Not them. You."

A shiver passed down Rachel's spine, but it was one of extreme surprise at the words, not of anticipation. She looked away, ashamed. "I...didn't think you'd want to speak to me again." She had thought that Nigel hated her after the things she said and did. And it was warranted. She would never want to talk to herself again either.

Nigel looked down at her from his sunglasses, a small wistful smile playing on his lips. "I know why you did it."

She felt her former shocked expression move into a deadpan one. "I bet I know who tattled too." She had a haunting feeling that Numbuh Infinity ran at the mouth again.

Nigel grinned, almost as if he read her thoughts. Rachel smiled back.

They met with another awkward silence, merely staring at each other seemed to be just fine as it is. The room seemed warmer now that they were around each other and everything seemed right in the world...well, moon, for once.

A painful question then escaped her lips which seemed to shatter the serene moment.

"How long do you have?"

Nigel's grin dimmed a bit. "Not long."

Made sense. He was only here to say goodbye, even if it seemed just like another night on Moonbase, just them lounging around, having a meatball sandwich just like old times.

And almost at once, they erupted in conversation. From the good memories to the bad, they talked incessantly to each other, chatting excitedly about his new prospects in the GKND, her plans to reinstate Sector Z, deciding on an eventual successor to Rachel's position of Supreme Leader and everything in between.

It seemed to go on forever, but time went by fast. Very soon, the curfew became so far off that Moonbase was practically empty until the next shift ran again. Their conversation ended when Nigel's wrist began to beep loudly and he pulled up his sleeve to reveal a futuristic space gauntlet, littered with colorful buttons and a high-tech screen where the source of the noise was.

Nigel pressed a button and a hologram of Numbuh Infinity appeared.

"Time to go, Numbuh 1. We must make it in time to the Kuiper worm hole if we are to make it to the main base before lunchtime!" Numbuh Infinity tapped at his own gauntlet to prove his point.

Nigel rolled his eyes. "I'm on my way to the landing deck now, Infinity." He pressed the button again and the hologram died. He turned to a quiet Rachel.

She gave him a reassuring smile. "Time to go now, Numbuh 1."

"Come with me?" He raised his hand. It was the first time Rachel ever seen Nigel so imploring before...resolute, but wistful.

She nodded and took his hand.

* * *

They walked what seemed to be a rather short walk despite the fact that that loading deck was on the other side of her office, but the fact that Nigel was holding her hand all the way towards his destination seemed to balance it out with a taste of forever.

No one was around. Everyone had gone home. But if there were people running about, they'd most likely mistake Nigel and Rachel's reddened faces as a sign of a newly blossomed couple, getting used to being with each other in public.

Nigel nor Rachel looked each other in the eye, already too embarrassed by what they were already doing, holding hands together like they were a picture-perfect couple. Rachel trailed behind rather awkwardly, looking away to the side while Nigel slightly pulled her along, staring ahead, unable to look at her as well.

Despite the rather strange formation they had, both of their hearts were beating madly in their rib-cages, ecstatic at the joining, even if it was something as simple as holding hands.

Nigel ingrained how perfect her hand fit in his to the back of his mind, trying to memorize the feel of her soft, but rough skin from working as an operative, merging warmly against his own. Unknown to him, she was doing the same.

They reached the loading dock, where a strange green light beam was emitted from what seems like a large space station hovering above Moonbase. Nigel's transport was ready to go.

They both stared up at it silently, knowing that once Nigel got on that ship, they'd never see each other for who knows how long. Months? Years? Decades? It felt like they were forcing their bond apart, something they never wanted to do.

"This is it." They both said at the same time. This caused them to look at each other and detach their hands, noting that things felt colder now after they did so.

They seemed to have a knack for staring at each other for long periods of time, but they couldn't help themselves. They both wanted to memorize every facial feature, every strand of hair (or lack thereof), until they can confidently draw it on paper.

Rachel began to blink madly, tears forming again. "G-goodbye, Nigel."

Nigel stared back at her solemnly, his eye softening at her emotional state. "Rachel..."

She bent her head down and shook it angrily before meeting his eyes again. She tried to steel her composure, just like she always did. He admired her for trying to stay strong.

Rachel raised her arm up, hand outstretched. "You were the best operative in the entire KND, Numbuh 1, Nigel Uno. I was honored to have you in my employ for so long. I wish you well, I wish you the very best in your endeavors fighting adult tyranny on a universal scale. We will never forget your service to us." Her voice cracked at the last bit and her brown eyes began to tear up. She was losing him, no, she was giving him away.

Nigel nodded and took her hand, another jolt shooting up their arms, but they anticipated it. They couldn't ignore the signs, no matter how much they denied or dismiss it. It was there. It had always been there.

Rachel yelped as Nigel thrust his arm back, forcing her forward and found herself in a tight embrace. She remained in shock for but a second until she returned the gesture, squeezing her arms in an iron grip around his torso, but Nigel cared less about the grip. His hold on her was just as strong as hers, if not more.

She finally released whatever pent up feelings she felt inside. Everything related to Nigel Uno, everything that made her who she was due to him. The encircling of his arms were like a long lost home to her, a safe haven from everything wrong in her life.

Perfect. She was perfectly fit in his arms. He held her like a lifeline. As if letting her go would mean the end of everything he knew in life. It felt more than puppy-love or a junior high romance. He felt a deeper connection to her than anything else in existence.

Search the world, the moon, the universe, all of existence. It wouldn't matter. He knew that no one would love her as much as he would.

The incessant beeping returned, only stronger than ever. Infinity was getting impatient.

"Nigel..." She mumbled into his shoulder, his scent of fresh air and some sort of faint British musk lulling her senses into a dull enchantment.

She shivered as he moved his head toward hers, breathing gently into her ear.

"You lied," He taunted quietly into her ear. "when you said you didn't love me."

Her hair stood on end at those words. She stilled in shock, ignoring his breath on the side of her face, trying to have the words sink in.

"...you don't know that," She answered. "You don't."

"I do."

He pulled his face away to get a good look at her, his gray eyes staring, looking into her soul...calculating and open. Right then and there, she knew how he knew.

"When you lie, you blink...a lot."

She thought that she and her father were the only ones who knew that weakness, the sure fire way to know between how she personified truth and her tact in the art of lying. He read her perfectly like a book. So much so, it almost terrified her at how well he knew her.

Her eyes wavered with unshed tears, but she blinked them away. She smiled softly. "I lied."

There it was. The wall between them crumbled like nothing. For once, everything seemed right, even if the moment would soon be overcome by heartbreak. It was there.

Nigel leaned forward. This time, Rachel was expecting it. She ran her fingers gently against the side of Nigel's face. He hummed in contentment as she lifted his glasses up, so they saw each other perfectly.

They didn't feel like children anymore. Not one bit. They didn't even feel like teenagers either.

It was a world of comfort, where it was only them.

She chuckled when he leaned forward to place a lingering kiss on her forehead. Nigel, the ever present gentleman.

"One day..." He trailed off as Rachel kissed the corner of his lips, stunned at the action.

She withdrew from his embrace, smiling a smile he hadn't seen in weeks. "Until then..."

It was a promise, a silent agreement between two souls.

He rummaged through his pockets almost as an afterthought. Rachel watched curiously as he withdrew two platinum bands from his pocket. She grinned sheepishly.

Rings again?

"I thought we learned our lesson last time?" She joked as he picked up the skinnier band and took her hand into his.

Nigel lifted her ring finger and placed the rather beautiful ring on it, turning it ever so gently. "Let's just say a certain someone wanted to apologize for stealing something that was yours in the first place..."

The ring was nearly see-through, the platinum hoops seemed to be alive as the shine kept revolving incessantly around the band. As Nigel twisted it, intricate alien-like designs surfaced, twisting around it like engraved lights. He turned it again and the designs disappeared.

Rachel stared at it in absolute wonder. Nigel smiled wistfully.

"Don't forget me." Her fate was inevitable, but she nodded.

"I won't." She took the other ring in his hand and set it on his ring finger. He nodded, accepting her words and stepped away.

He gave her a cocky two finger salute and smirked. His trademark smirk. She was the last earthling to ever receive such a grin. She felt strangely honored.

Nigel gave her one last linger glance, turned his heel and walked into the enclosure of light, turning around to lock eyes with her one more time before he was teleported away.

The light disappeared along with him and she looked up in wonder as the alien ship geared up it's engines and vanished in a blink of an eye, gone into hyperspace.

A lone tear fell down her cheek, but she wiped it away. She twisted the ring unconsciously on her finger and continued to stare up into the sky, unaware that she'd be doing it for years to come.

* * *

_Ten Years Later_

It was routine, everyone in the park knew. In the mornings, the young folk would start their daily jog across the jogging path, sometimes stopping to chat in polite conversation with the sitting elders on the benches.

In the early afternoon, the chess grounds were filled with old men matching wit to wit and trading war stories as the competition brewed amongst them.

Late afternoon and children have finished school for the day, now busying themselves by playing pirates or knights all over the jungle gyms and slides. The mothers would bring their bouncing young to the toddler-fit swing and they'd all fight over which child got to ride first.

By early evening, a conglomeration of bicycles would ride by, covering the sidewalks with machinery and causing a disturbance beside the irate joggers, who are then forced to find another track to run on.

This happened everyday. It was always a routine.

And of course, lets not forget about the late evening, where the children have obviously left for home, the old folks returned to their centers. The bicyclists have left alongside the joggers. Stray couples now littered the romantic starry night, snuggling against each other in private. But then, they'd eventually disappear too.

But every night, a lone young woman would walk by and sit against a well old tree, staring at the sky, concentrating on the stars. At first, some thought that she was a mere star enthusiast taking note of the science of the universe. But an elder woman confirmed against it.

The young woman stared at the stars as if she was in love.

She looked like a forlorn maiden waiting for her lover who was sent away to war, standing faithfully at the same spot as if forever, waiting for his return...if he ever will.

She would stare at the stars and twist her ring around without realizing that she was performing the action. Some rumored that the ring would glow strangely when she did.

The curious stray watchers would watch the young woman on end every night, too scared to ask what she was looking for in person. They waited alongside her until they had enough and left and yet she'd still sit there and watch the stars.

The old woman watched her the most. The wind would pick up and the young woman would continuously tuck her short, golden blond hair back whenever the wind misplaced it, her bright brown eyes unwavering as she gazed at the skies.

Tonight was the same. The routine was unchanged.

Until something abnormal happened on this one particular night.

The wind became more ferocious and wild, almost causing the old woman's dress to flare up. She pressed her skirt down before it made an embarrassment out of her.

But the young woman remained unfazed. On the other hand, the girl stood up abruptly, her eyes alight with something akin to a bright sun. The old woman watched in amazement as the girl smiled a smile she had never seen before. The girl looked alive and radiating.

And then, the sky lit up in a bright light that blinded everything in sight.

The young woman shielded her eyes until the bright light died down. It came as it went, almost as if it was nothing more than a fazed dream.

The old woman opened her eyes and saw the young woman. She was no longer gazing longingly at the sky, only ahead of her where the old woman saw a male figure far off, staring back at the young woman.

She watched as the two stared at each other silently for a moment, before the young man, dressed up in strange gear, began to slowly walk toward her, the young woman looking as if she was about to cry and laugh at the same time.

The old woman may not have known the initial story behind it all, but she would forever witness the reunion of two starcrossed souls. Dodged by destiny, saved by faith.

It was a normal routine no more.

**End Transmission**

* * *

Final Word: The title! Are you wondering about it? Doesn't seem fitting to the last chapter? I like this song and I thought this chapter fit it. Something uplifting, ne?

A/N: Yep, it is the end! Finished! Goodbye!

I hope you all enjoyed the series! I know I did! ((tear))

Maybe I'll lurk around one day...writing a sequel...? You never know! XD

Later!


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